The Yemeni army said Monday that government forces had seized the Dhubab district and strategic positions around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait following clashes with the Houthis.
Yemen's official Saba news agency said forces from the Nation's Shield and the pro-government Southern Giants Brigades, backed by the Popular Resistance, took control of Dhubab in western Taiz province.
A military source told Saba that the forces launched a large-scale operation with air support targeting Houthi positions and forces across several areas of the district.
The forces advanced and took control of key positions while cutting supply lines and routes leading to Bab el-Mandeb, the source said.
The source said an unspecified number of Houthi fighters were killed or injured in the clashes, while several military vehicles and equipment were destroyed or damaged.
The Southern Giants Brigades separately announced the launch of what they called a "decisive" military operation against the Houthis in the Bab el-Mandeb area.
The operation comes after Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi ordered the start of what the government calls a "battle for liberation" aimed at restoring state institutions and territories under Houthi control.
Bab el-Mandeb is a strategically important waterway connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea and is a key route for international shipping.
