Can fractured pro-government forces stop the Houthi advance in Yemen?

Submitted by MEE correspondent on Mon, 09/14/2026 - 09:37 After seizing the entire Red Sea coast, the Houthis are attempting to advance into western Taiz

Yemen's Houthi armed forces patrol as freed prisoners loyal to the Ansar Allah authorities arrive in the capital Sanaa on 12 September 2026 (Mohammed Huwais / AFP) Off

On 3 September, Houthi forces launched a heavy offensive against Yemen's internationally recognised government in the southern Hodeidah districts of Hays and Al-Khawkha, as well as the strategic western Taiz districts of Jabal Habashi, Maqbana, Mowza’a, and Al-Wazeyaha.

These areas form a crucial geographic corridor that connects the mountainous highlands of Taiz to the coastal plain along the Red Sea.

Government forces initially repelled the attacks across both governorates, halting the Houthi advance toward Mocha for nearly a week - however, on Wednesday night, Houthi fighters launched a rapid assault from southern Hodeidah and western Taiz, capturing Mocha in a single night.

Government units - including the National Resistance Forces (NRF), the Nation’s Shield Forces (NSF), and the Giants Brigades (Al-Amaliqah) - attempted to push back, but were ultimately seen retreating from Mocha toward Bab al-Mandab and Lahj governorate.

By the following morning, Houthi forces had advanced to capture the Bab al-Mandab Strait and Mayyun Island - the strategic focal point overseeing the strait - as government troops withdrew toward the Ras al-A'ara area in Lahj.

Throughout the battles in Hodeidah and Taiz, the Houthis consistently maintained the offensive, leaving government forces mostly on the defensive - holding ground in some sectors while failing in others.

Since Friday, the Houthis have targeted government positions past Bab al-Mandab with multiple missile strikes.

However, the fiercest clashes remain centred on the western Taiz fronts, where Houthi troops continue pushing to secure additional areas across the governorate.

What happened on the Red Sea coast?

“We fought the Houthis for a week, but they received continuous reinforcements and relentless support from ground and air forces,” a fighter who took part in the battles told Middle East Eye.

“We were divided into separate units, with each group taking orders from its own commander, leaving us scattered across the battlefield.”

'I am not trying to blame anyone, but when one group pulled back, the rest followed suit'

- pro-government fighter

He emphasised that his unit did not retreat at the onset, holding their ground for a full week before withdrawing only “when it became impossible to stay”.

“I am deeply hurt by the criticism directed at us. We were accused of fleeing by people who have no idea what actual battle entails,” the fighter added.

He explained that while units attempted to coordinate under fragmented leadership, deteriorating communication during the heaviest fighting eventually triggered the retreat.

“I am not trying to blame anyone, but when one group pulled back, the rest followed suit. We retreated to Mocha, and from there toward Bab al-Mandab and Ras al-A'ara,” said the fighter, who spoke to MEE after successfully escaping Mocha for Aden.

While clashes have broken out across multiple governorates - including Al-Jawf, Al-Bayda, Marib, Al-Dhale, Hodeidah, and Taiz - the most severe engagements remain concentrated in the latter.

In response, the Yemeni Armed Forces announced they will deploy all available ground and air assets to target Houthi movements within an operational zone spanning the Taiz–Mocha road, Jabal al-Nar, and Mocha, releasing a target map alongside the statement.

‘Like a battlefield’: How Yemen’s Mocha went from a town of fishermen to a city of fighters Read More »

On 10 September, official military spokesperson Colonel Majed al-Nuzaili urged civilians to avoid the Taiz–Mocha road until further notice and to stay clear of Houthi military concentrations.

Government forces have since launched air strikes against Houthi positions in Mocha and along the western coast to support a push to retake the city, though no territorial ground gains have yet been achieved.

Houthi officials accused Saudi Arabia of conducting over 100 air strikes across Yemen within a 48-hour window, though Saudi authorities have not claimed responsibility for the operations.

Meanwhile, the National Resistance Forces reported significant casualties from the recent offensive, confirming that over 500 of their fighters were killed and more than 1,500 wounded

According to the International Organization for Migration's (IOM) more than 82,000 were displaced since the beginning of September as fighting continues along the west coast. Families are being forced from their homes, and some are now fleeing the country altogether.

IOM stated that over 2,000 people fleeing the hostilities have reached Djibouti's northern shores so far, landing at scattered points along the coast near Obock.

Recapturing coastal areas

Although the Yemeni government announced plans to target Houthi positions, the morale of pro-government supporters who withdrew from the west coast remains severely battered, making it difficult to halt further Houthi advances in the immediate term.

Professor Abdulsattar al-Shamiri, a Yemeni political analyst and CEO of the Johood Center for Studies and Research, attributed the setback to a distinct lack of coordination among military factions, which ultimately led to the defeat of government forces.

'If the Houthis manage to consolidate their presence in Mocha and Bab al-Mandab, they will gain massive strategic leverage against Saudi Arabia, the United States, and international powers'

- Dr Mohammed al-Shuaibi, University of Aden

"There are no explicit disagreements in the literal sense, but there are clear discrepancies in coordination methods," he told MEE.

"As for the setback that occurred in Mocha and the rest of the coastal areas, it stems from central factors - chief among them weak command and control, as the command structure within the Yemeni army units was not functioning as it should."

Shamiri noted additional factors that undermined government forces, including a lack of effective air cover. The air force failed to intervene with the same scale and impact seen a decade ago, when the Saudi-led coalition actively supported ground forces across Yemen.

“Supply shortages, rapid rearmament crises, and poor communication are considered other causes, along with the absence of central oversight,” Shamiri added.

Despite detailing the reasons behind the military loss, Shamiri expressed confidence that Yemeni forces could eventually reclaim lost areas.

“Recapturing areas is possible, but it will not be easy or quick. It will require organised effort, high readiness, and more time - especially given that these areas were previously under Houthi control before they were forcefully expelled,” he explained.

Shamiri added that the coming phase will likely depend on a strategy of deep attrition, utilising targeted air strikes and surgical ground operations against Houthi strongholds.

“This attrition may force them to withdraw from certain areas, despite Iran having secured a major strategic gain and potentially pushing further support to the Houthis,” he said. “The government forces are, therefore, facing a long-term war of attrition.”

Dr Mohammed al-Shuaibi, professor of strategic planning at the University of Aden, similarly believes that recapturing coastal areas along the Red Sea remains achievable if forces realign.

“The government forces can unify their leadership and militarily recapture Mocha,” he told MEE.

“To achieve this, it requires forming a unified operations room, a single political decision, and subsequently selecting a unified field command - specifically from among those leaders who enjoy acceptance and possess sufficient battleground experience there.”

Intermediate objective

By seizing positions along Yemen’s Red Sea coast - such as Mocha, Dhubab, Bab al-Mandab, and Mayyun Island -the Houthis, officially called Ansar Allah, have gained significant leverage over one of the world's vital maritime chokepoints connecting the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Suez Canal.

Yet al-Shuaibi views Bab al-Mandab as an intermediate objective rather than the final goal.

“If the Houthis manage to consolidate their presence in Mocha and Bab al-Mandab, they will gain massive strategic leverage against Saudi Arabia, the United States, and international powers,” he stated.

Beyond local military control, al-Shuaibi noted that the move attempts to establish a new regional balance of power, as the Houthis recognize the strait's global economic and political weight.

“The more capable they become of threatening the strait, the more enabled they are to transform Yemen from an internal battleground into an influential player in global energy security and trade,” he explained.

Responding to maritime security concerns, Ansar Allah spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam posted on X: “As for the freedom of navigation and international trade movement in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab, it is safe and orderly, and there is no cause for any international concern regarding it.”

Yemen War Taiz, Yemen News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0