Yemeni government forces retake strategic Red Sea port of Mokha from Houthis

Yemeni government forces have seized control of the strategic Red Sea port city of Mokha from the Houthi militia following fierce clashes and with air support, Yemen’s state news agency SABA reported on Monday, citing a military source (https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2026/10/05/yemeni-government-forces-retake-strategic-red-sea-port-of-mokha).

The source said the Nation’s Shield Forces, the Giants Brigades and the Tihama brigades took control of the city as part of a major government offensive launched over the weekend to retake Houthi-held territory (https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2026/10/05/yemeni-government-forces-retake-strategic-red-sea-port-of-mokha).

The capture of Mokha represents a significant gain for the internationally recognised government because of the city’s proximity to the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis seized Mokha during an offensive along Yemen’s western coast last month, strengthening their ability to threaten shipping around Bab al-Mandeb (https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2026/10/05/yemeni-government-forces-retake-strategic-red-sea-port-of-mokha).

The recapture follows rapid pro-government advances on Monday: the Yemeni military said the Nation’s Shield Forces and Giants Brigades had retaken the Bab al-Mandeb area and Dhubab district, seized Dhubab airport and cut the road connecting Dhubab with Mokha (https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2026/10/05/yemeni-government-forces-retake-strategic-red-sea-port-of-mokha). Saudi-led coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki said on Monday that 100 fighter jets were supporting Yemeni forces and that hundreds of Houthi targets had been destroyed (https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2026/10/05/yemeni-government-forces-retake-strategic-red-sea-port-of-mokha).

The advances are part of the newly launched “Dawn of Yemen” operation, which aims to restore government control over territory held by the Houthis. Presidential Leadership Council chief Rashad al-Alimi announced the broader campaign on Sunday, saying he had ordered government forces to begin operations to retake the remaining territory under Houthi control and restore state authority, adding that the government had exhausted opportunities for de-escalation and moved “from the stage of preparation to the stage of action to restore the state” (https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2026/10/05/yemeni-government-forces-retake-strategic-red-sea-port-of-mokha).

Government forces have also announced a “strategic offensive” targeting the Houthi-held capital Sanaa, indicating the campaign is unfolding on several fronts rather than being confined to Yemen’s Red Sea coast (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/5/yemen-forces-claim-to-seize-dhubab-sites-near-bab-al-mandeb-from-houthis). The competing battlefield claims could not be independently verified.