Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement says it has made major gains along the country’s western Red Sea coast, amid reports that it has taken Perim Island, a strategically located outcrop in the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
A source from Yemen’s internationally recognised government told the BBC that Houthi forces had seized Perim, also known as Mayyun, after pro-government troops withdrew from the island on Friday. Witnesses and news agencies subsequently reported the arrival of Houthi fighters there.
The reported capture follows the Houthis’ takeover of Mokha, a strategic port city, from Saudi-backed pro-government forces a day earlier, according to military sources. A Yemeni military official told AFP that the group now controls Yemen’s entire coastline.
Shipping route concerns
Perim lies at the narrowest part of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a vital maritime passage connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The route has gained further importance following the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the conflict between the United States and Iran.
Saudi Arabia has been using the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab route to send oil to customers in Asia. The recent escalation involving the Houthis, Yemen’s government and Saudi Arabia has contributed to higher oil prices.
The Houthis said their operation against Saudi-backed forces had succeeded and maintained that shipping remained safe for all companies except Saudi vessels. The group’s military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, said the operation began on 3 September in response to what he described as Saudi Arabia’s aggression against Yemenis.
Sarea also said Houthi forces had driven out Saudi-linked troops from six districts in the Taiz and Hodeidah regions, claiming hundreds of personnel had been killed, wounded or captured. The Houthi statement did not specifically mention Perim Island, and Saudi Arabia had not publicly commented on the latest developments.
Fighting and displacement
The Houthi offensive in south-western Yemen began about a week ago. Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed and thousands displaced, while a Saudi-led coalition has carried out air strikes on Houthi-held areas in western Yemen in support of pro-government forces. The Houthis have also launched missiles and drones at cities and oil facilities in southern Saudi Arabia.
The International Organization for Migration said at least 46,000 people had been displaced since the fighting intensified. On Friday, the agency warned that the number was rising rapidly. Its director general, Amy Pope, said families were being forced to flee repeatedly with very few possessions remaining.
The Houthis removed the internationally recognised Yemeni government in 2015, leading to Saudi military intervention in the civil war. The group controls much of Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa. A truce that had broadly held for more than four years effectively collapsed in July.
Source: BBC News
