Just a day after announcing the start of a military operation to recapture territory from the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, the Saudi-backed Yemeni government claimed it has secured the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

According to EFE on the 5th (local time), Maj. Gen. Majid Al-Nuzaili, a spokesman for the Yemeni government forces, stated, "The Giants Brigades and the National Shield Forces have successfully secured Bab el-Mandeb (from the Houthi rebels)."

The Giants Brigades and the National Shield Forces are pro-government troops leading the current offensive on Yemen's western coast, and they are reportedly advancing toward the port city of Mokha.

Major General Al-Nuzaili added that Yemeni government forces have also cut off the road connecting Doubab, which overlooks Bab el-Mandeb, and Mokha, securing fire control over the route.

Reuters also reported, citing military and government sources, that Yemeni government forces have taken control of significant parts of the Doubab area and are pushing to secure full control over the region.

Major General Al-Nuzaili also wrote on social media X that day, "We carried out 1,122 precision strikes targeting Houthi artillery batteries, rocket launchers, defensive positions, advance routes, and command headquarters."

This comes just hours after Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council of Yemen, declared the launch of the military operation to retake territory from the Houthis in a televised address the previous day.

The operation has been named "Dawn of Yemen."

The Saudi-led coalition also announced its participation in the operation, deploying fighter jets to actively support the Yemeni forces.

Saudi Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki, spokesman for the coalition, wrote on X, "One hundred fighter jets participated in the Dawn of Yemen operation today," adding, "We are continuing to provide air support to the Yemeni ground forces."

The coalition added that it has struck 324 key targets and is also providing air support to protect the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Despite the counteroffensive by Yemeni forces, ground advances by the Houthis are continuing.

The Houthis are currently pressuring Taiz, Yemen's third-largest city currently controlled by the government, from the east, west, and north.

As the Houthis moved to cut off the main road connecting Taiz and Aden, Yemen's temporary capital, the city of Turba, a key stronghold for government forces defending Taiz, was captured by the Houthis the previous day, according to AP.

Regarding the battlefield situation, Ahmed Nagi, a senior analyst for Yemen at the International Crisis Group (ICG), told AFP, "While it is a significant shift, it is still too early to say that a decisive turning point is emerging."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)