Yemeni government forces announced today that they are withdrawing from the area near the Bab al-Mandab strait to focus on defending their central base in Aden.
This withdrawal is considered a major defeat for the Saudi-led coalition in the war with Iran's Houthis.
The government forces said in a statement: "Armed militant forces in the southern operation announce the transfer of forces from Zabab Airport and the Bab al-Mandab area in western Tais province."
The announcement of this withdrawal was the official end of a six-week ground counteroffensive by the Yemeni government to retake coastal areas around the entrance to the Red Sea, which the Houthis seized in a flash and put Saudi oil exports under pressure.
This withdrawal increases the chance of a new advance by the Houthis towards Aden and worsens the problem for Saudi Arabia to stop the drone and missile attacks of the Houthis.
Yemeni government forces have been stationed in Aden on the southern coast since 2015, after the Houthis captured the capital Sanaa. Saudi Arabia and the Houthis have not yet responded.
📸 AFP via Getty Images