Fighting has intensified on several fronts in Yemen as the government forces have carried out air attacks on Houthi positions in attempts to retake Mocha, days after the Iran-backed group captured the strategic port city, tightening its grip on the Red Sea – a vital shipping lane.
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group → intensify → Sea
The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah (supporters of God), have accused Saudi Arabia of launching more than 100 air attacks on Yemen within the past 48 hours.
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Houthis → know → hours
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they → back → it
- list 2 of 3Will the Houthi attacks activate the Mecca Pact?
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attacks → activate → Pact
Houthi advances in Yemen give Iran leverage in its war with the US?
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advances → give → US
Saudi Arabia backs the internationally recognised government, which has described the latest fighting as a “battle for survival”.
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which → back → survival
The fighting has forced tens of thousands of Yemenis from their homes, including more than 2,000 who headed to Djibouti.
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who → force → Djibouti
What is the Saudi role in the conflict, and how has Iran responded?
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Iran → respond → conflict
Here’s what we know:
What is the latest situation on the ground?
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situation → ’ → ground
On Saturday, Yemeni government forces said they had launched air attacks on Houthi fighters along the Red Sea coast after the group seized full control of the strategic shoreline.
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group → say → shoreline
Yemen’s government news agency, Saba, reported that “the armed forces destroyed vehicles and weapons and killed members of the Houthi terrorist militia backed by the Iranian regime” near the port city of Mocha.
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forces → report → Mocha
The spokesperson for the government forces, Majed Abdullah al-Nazili, said they also struck the Houthis’ “vehicles and members” on the Mocha-Dhubab road, 11km (7 miles) from the city, according to Saba.
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they → say → Saba
The government’s attacks came after the Houthis captured Mocha on Thursday and the island of Mayyun (also known as Perim) on Friday, completing their hold on the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a narrow waterway vital to global oil shipping.
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Houthis → come → shipping
On Sunday, Sultan al-Arada, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) and governor of Marib, said government forces that withdrew from the west coast are currently regrouping in Marib and will return to the battlefield.
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that → say → battlefield
In an interview with state-run Saba TV, al-Arada described what happened on the coast as “painful and unfortunate”, but said such setbacks were part of the nature of war.
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setbacks → run → war
Al-Arada accused the Houthis of bringing the peace process to a dead end and “forcing the option of war” back on Yemen.
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Arada → accuse → Yemen
He said government forces were continuing to fight on several fronts and that the ultimate objective in Marib and elsewhere remained “the restoration of the capital, Sanaa”.
“The forces that withdrew are now rearranging themselves, and they will return to the battle again in one form or another,” he said.
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he → say → form
The Yemeni military’s reserve Nation Shield Force also claimed on Sunday that the reserve’s 6th Brigade had downed five drones during clashes in the al-Aghbara area, according to a report by Turkish state-run Anadolu news agency.
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Brigade → claim → agency
Separately, the September Net website, which is affiliated with the army of the internationally recognised Yemeni government, reported that air forces conducted a series of air raids against Houthi targets across the country, saying equipment had been destroyed and Houthi fighters killed, but gave no further details on the number of casualties.
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fighters → affiliate → casualties
Reporting from Sanaa, Yemen, Al Jazeera’s Yousef Mawry said the government forces are trying to recapture territory near the key city of Mocha from the Houthis.
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forces → report → Houthis
The Al Jazeera correspondent said Saudi Arabia is carrying out air attacks, mainly against Houthi military advances.
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Arabia → say → advances
“There have been 129 air strikes on the areas that have recently fallen to the Ansar Allah, including areas in the north where the Houthi group is trying to make advances into the city of Marib, a Yemeni government stronghold.”
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group → fall → Marib
Mawry said Houthi military buildups in Taiz have also been hit.
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buildups → say → Taiz
He added that there are also reports of clashes on the outskirts of Marib, a government-held city considered to be the economic hub of Yemen.
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He → add → Yemen
“Whoever controls it, controls Yemen’s revenue stream,” he said.
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he → control → stream
Mohammed al-Basha, founder and lead analyst of the Basha Report Risk Advisory, told Al Jazeera that political infighting and division within the government forces are stymying the fight against the fast-moving Houthis.
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infighting → tell → Houthis
“You’re not going to be able to defeat the Houthis with a split command and control with eight armies sort of competing over influence,” he said.
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he → go → influence
He blamed infighting among government forces as a reason for the Houthis’ military gains.
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He → blame → gains
“They’re finger-pointing and blaming each other,” he added.
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he → point → other
The primary active front lines in the latest escalation involve intense fighting between the Iran-backed group and forces aligned with the internationally recognised Yemeni government.
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lines → involve → government
These include:
The western coast and Bab al-Mandeb strait: Intense clashes have focused on the coastal areas, including Mocha and Hodeidah, as Houthi forces push towards vital shipping lanes and chokepoints overlooking the Red Sea.
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forces → include → Sea
Heavy ground battles and counterattacks have taken place in recent days through the mountainous terrain of Taiz province, which acts as a crucial gateway connecting inland areas to the coast.
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which → take → coast
Over the past few weeks, government forces have been battling to defend and expand their control around Marib and the neighbouring northern governorate of al-Jawf bordering Saudi Arabia.
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forces → battle → Arabia
Acting as a vital territorial connector between the Houthi-controlled north and the south, Dhalea remains a volatile and active line of contact.
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Dhalea → act → contact
What do we know about the latest humanitarian situation in Yemen?
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we → know → Yemen
The migration agency on Sunday said that more than 82,000 people have now been forced from their homes due to the fighting since the beginning of September.
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people → say → September
Earlier, Abdusattor Esoev, chief of the International Organization for Migration in Yemen, told Al Jazeera that the fall of Mocha, where the UN maintained a strong presence, had made it more difficult for aid agencies to reach people in need.
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agencies → tell → need
More than 2,000 Yemenis have arrived in Djibouti in the past 24 hours amid fierce fighting.
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Yemenis → arrive → fighting
The Houthis have launched missile and drone attacks on southern Saudi Arabia in recent days.
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Houthis → launch → days
On Tuesday, the group struck civilian and economic facilities in the Saudi cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran, wounding 73 people, including women and children.
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group → strike → women
…and 49 more, not listed.
The Aporia
