The Armed Forces of Yemen, recognized by the international community, have reported the withdrawal of part of their personnel from the Dhubab airport and from the Bab el Mandeb strait area, west of Taiz, in the southwest of the country. This movement comes after an increase in the threats and the military presence of the Houthi rebels, supported by Iran, in this key zone.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Defense, this adjustment forms part of a broader reorganization of military deployments, whose aim is to reinforce the protection of Aden and of the southern provinces. With this, they seek to improve the capacity to respond to possible offensives against the city that houses the Yemeni government, moved from Saná, and its nearby areas.
In the note, the military authorities insist that they will maintain operations against the Houthis until they crush their uprising and fully restore state authority. At the same time, they reaffirm that they will continue to push forward actions intended to break the siege weighing on Taiz, with the support of the international coalition led by Saudi Arabia.
The official spokesperson of the Yemeni Armed Forces, Majed Abdulá al Nuzaili, a colonel of the General Staff, has stated his support for the actions of the forces of the south and has highlighted their role in protecting Aden and the southern provinces, as well as in initiatives to ease the siege on Taiz.
Al Nuzaili has described this position as a "patriotic position" in an especially delicate juncture and has stressed that safeguarding the provisional capital and freeing Taiz involves a "national and moral responsibility" in the face of the threats and violations attributed to the Houthi militia.
The spokesperson has also defended that the recovery of Bab el Mandeb and the western coastal strip constitutes an "inherent right" of the Armed Forces and has appealed to the international community to become involved in this objective, given the strategic importance of the strait for maritime security and global trade.
Lastly, he has underscored that the Army maintains a united front to protect the Yemeni population and its resources against Houthi harassment, and has confirmed that the operation "Dawn of Yemen" will continue until it fulfills its goals and neutralizes the threat posed by this militia.
The statement closes with recognition for the fallen, a message of encouragement to the injured, and a call for victory for Yemen and its people.