Yemeni government forces seize strategic mountain overlooking Bab el-Mandeb: official

Yemeni government forces seized a strategic mountain overlooking areas near Bab el-Mandeb after clashes with Houthi fighters, a senior official said on Tuesday. Fayyad Alnoman, assistant undersecretary at Yemen’s Information Ministry for television affairs, cited field sources on X as saying government military forces drove Houthi forces from Jabal Zalat, located behind the Kahbub mountain range in Lahj governorate. مصادر ميدانية : ◉ التشكيلات العسكرية التابعة للقوات المسلحة تطرد مليشيات الحوثي الارهابية وتسيطر على جبل زالات الاستراتيجي الواقع خلف سلسلة جبال كهبوب المطل على منطقتي العمري وباب المندب بعد معارك واشتباكات تكبدت المليشيات خسائر كبير بالأرواح والعتاد العسكري ◉ بالسيطرة على… — د. فياض النعمان |Dr. Fayyad Alnoman (@fayyadalnoman) September 22, 2026 He said the mountain overlooks the Al-Omari area and Bab el-Mandeb, a strategically important waterway connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis suffered heavy losses in personnel and military equipment during the fighting, Alnoman added. Read More: Houthis push for control of Yemen highlands as Trump reported to have called off airstrikes He said control of Jabal Zalat puts the Al-Omari military camp within firing range of government forces, strengthening their positions and increasing military pressure on Houthi-held sites in the area. The Houthi group did not immediately comment on the reports. Fighting has intensified in recent weeks along fronts between Taiz and Lahj provinces. Government forces previously reported taking several highlands in the Kahboub mountain range and launching counteroffensives toward Houthi-held positions in an area commanding routes toward Yemen’s western coast, Bab el-Mandeb and Dhubab. Yemen has been engulfed in conflict since the Houthi group seized the capital Sanaa and several provinces in September 2014, prompting a Saudi-led Arab coalition to intervene in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognised government.