Yemen govt forces fortify Aden defences as Houthis advance

Yemen’s internationally recognised government is fortifying positions on the outskirts of Aden province, home to its de facto capital, as its Iran-backed Houthi foes seize hilltops overlooking the area, three military officials told AFP.

Fighting has flared since a 2022 truce fell apart over the summer, with violence intensifying after Yemen’s Saudi-backed government lost control of the Red Sea coastline along the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait in September.

Houthi fighters are now advancing east, consolidating their gains near the Red Sea while also moving closer to the Gulf of Aden. They have been taking hold of strategic hilltops in the Al-Madaribah wal Ara district overlooking Aden province, the sources said.

“We received high-level directives to establish military fortifications west and north of Aden Governorate, as the threat to the government’s interim capital draws nearer,” one of the military officials said.

The fortifications include stacking up sandbags and digging tunnels.

All the sources requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

Government forces have repeatedly tried to regain control of the Red Sea coast to no avail, with battles killing dozens on both sides in the past couple of days, according to government and Houthi sources.

Another of the military officials described the fortification outside Aden as a long-overdue precautionary measure.

The third military source, a field officer on the ground, said the Houthis were advancing east of the strait towards the Gulf of Aden coast after taking large parts of Al-Madaribah wal Ara district adjacent to Aden province.

Nearby also lies the mountainous region of Al-Maqatirah, home to a road serving as the main gateway to the city of Taiz, which has been besieged by the Houthis for weeks.

The source said Al-Maqatirah had been captured by the Houthis, complicating government efforts to retake Taiz and opening the door to further advances in Al-Madaribah.

Aden has come under regular Houthi attack since hostilities resumed, with the group targeting the presidential palace complex and a base at the airport.

Yemen has been embroiled in war since 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa, forcing the government to relocate to Aden and declare the city its temporary capital.

The conflict fell dormant between 2022 and July this year, when a fragile truce collapsed amid the US-Iran war.

The Houthis allowed an Iranian plane to land in Sanaa in defiance of Saudi control over Yemeni airspace, setting off a spate of attacks.

Later, the Houthis declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and began hitting its airports, ships and oil facilities, before seizing Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast.

The group has in turn reported frequent Saudi airstrikes in areas under its control.