Yemeni forces claim to recapture Mocha from Houthis

Yemeni government forces have claimed to recapture the strategic Red Sea port city of Mocha from Houthi fighters as part of a major offensive aimed at pushing the Iran-aligned group away from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The forces said on Monday that they had entered Mocha after fierce fighting and driven Houthi fighters from parts of the city. The offensive was carried out by forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised government, including the Nation’s Shield Forces, Giants Brigades and Tihama Resistance, with Saudi air support.

The claim, however, has been disputed by the Houthis. A Houthi official released a video purportedly showing him inside Mocha and denied that government forces had captured the city. The competing claims could not be independently verified.

An AFP report citing Yemeni military sources said government forces had cut off the main supply route into Mocha but had not yet confirmed that the city had been fully recaptured.

The offensive has also targeted areas around the Bab el-Mandeb, the strategic waterway connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Yemeni government forces said they had captured Dhubab, Bab and Hadeid, positions close to the strait.

Saudi Arabia has provided air support to the operation. Saudi-led coalition spokesman Maj Gen Turki al-Malki said around 100 Saudi fighter jets were supporting the Yemeni ground forces and providing air cover around Bab el-Mandeb.

The Houthis have meanwhile claimed missile and drone attacks against targets in Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport and Saudi military and energy facilities. Those claims have not been independently verified.

Mocha is strategically important because of its location on Yemen’s western coast, close to Bab el-Mandeb, one of the world's key maritime chokepoints. The strait connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and provides a major shipping route between Europe and Asia.

The Houthis captured Mocha in September as part of their expansion along Yemen’s western coast. A government recapture would therefore represent a significant shift in control of territory near the Bab el-Mandeb.

The latest fighting comes amid a wider escalation between the Houthis and forces backed by Saudi Arabia, with control of Yemen’s Red Sea coast remaining central to the conflict.