Yemeni-backed Saudi-backed southern forces are withdrawing from the strategic Bab al-Mandab region as the Houthis advance.
The Yemeni-backed southern armed forces announced on Sunday that they were withdrawing from Dubab airport and the Bab al-Mandab area, west of Taiz province, as the Houthis advance towards the strategic maritime choke point connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
In a statement, the southern forces said the redeployment was aimed at strengthening the defense of Aden and the neighboring provinces, strengthening military positions and responding to increasing threats.
The withdrawal follows weeks of fighting after the Houthis, responding to Saudi Arabia's latest escalation in aggression, launched an offensive along Yemen's west coast in September, bringing its forces within reach of Bab al-Mandab.
The withdrawal also comes against the background of increased fighting in Taiz and the continuation of Saudi airstrikes on Yemen.
The Houthis have also carried out attacks against Saudi ports, airports and energy infrastructure, including Saudi Aramco facilities and the Red Sea oil export hub of Yanbu, amid the wider US and Israeli war on Iran.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in Taiz continues to deteriorate, with around half of the 300,000 people displaced by the latest fighting in the city, where restrictions on movement and humanitarian access have left civilians trapped.