Reports say Yemeni government forces withdrew from Mayyun Island, strategically located in the heart of the critical waterway, allowing the Houthis to capture it. The Iran-backed terrorist group also reportedly seized the Red Sea coastal town of Dhubab, near Bab al-Mandab.
The Houthis had seized Mayyun Island, also known as Perim Island. The takeover effectively gave the Houthis control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait area. Reuters reported that forces belonging to Yemen’s internationally recognized government had withdrawn from the island.
Mayyun lies in the middle of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, meaning that, according to the report, the Houthis have captured a position dozens of kilometers from their previous southern front line in the city of Mocha. The Houthis were also reported to have taken control of Dhubab, a Red Sea coastal town near Bab al-Mandab.