Ankara:Yemeni government forces reported that they have gained full control of the Kahbub front in the strategically significant Bab al-Mandeb area in western Yemen following clashes with the Houthis.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Nation's Shield Forces, aligned with the government, announced on the social media platform X that their troops, along with the Giants Brigades and Joint Forces, have established 'full control' over the Kahbub front. This advance is part of the ongoing 'Dawn of Yemen' operation.

The Houthis have not yet commented on this claim. Kahbub, located in the southern Lahj province, is crucial due to its mountainous terrain overlooking the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

Clashes between Yemeni government forces, their allies, and the Houthis have persisted on various fronts, marking the third day of the 'Dawn of Yemen' operation. Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi initiated the operation with the aim of restoring state institutions, retaking the capital Sanaa, and ending the Houthi takeover.

This latest offensive is part of a larger escalation of conflict in Yemen that began in July, following a period of relative calm after a UN-brokered truce in April 2022. Fighting intensified in September when the Houthis captured strategic positions in Al-Hudaydah and Taiz provinces, including the port city of Mokha, before advancing to Mayyun Island near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

Yemen's conflict began in September 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and several provinces, leading to a Saudi-led coalition intervention in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government.