Yemeni military sources said pro-government forces had cut off the only supply route to the Houthi-held city of Mocha on Monday, but stopped short of confirming an official announcement of the port’s recapture.
The government has announced a major counteroffensive, backed by the Saudi-led coalition that has supported it since 2015.
The Houthis, who are fighting the Saudi-backed, internationally recognised government, seized the historic port city during a lightning offensive last month, extending their control over all of Yemen’s Red Sea coast. But sources from the government’s military would not confirm the capture.
Earlier on Monday, the Aden-based government said its forces “were able to take control” of Mocha, while sweeping operations continued. Instead, they said “our forces took control of the Dhubab military airfield and cut the road linking the Dhubab district to the Bab al-Mandab area”, referring to the strategic strait at the mouth of the Red Sea which the Houthis now effectively control. The Giants Brigades, a pro-government force, confirmed the “cutting of the main road linking Mocha and Bab al-Mandab”, as well as the imposition of “a tight siege” with the intention of recapturing the area.
