The Yemeni government suffered a significant blow earlier this month when it lost the country’s Red Sea coast to the Houthi rebels. It is now working on a two-pronged strategy, militarily and diplomatically, to restore the initiative and prevent the Houthis from consolidating their gains and pushing further into government-held territory.
Saudi-backed government forces claimed on Tuesday to have seized the strategic Mount Qarafan in southern Taiz’s al-Shamayatayn district. The military reported killing five Iranian-allied Houthi fighters and injuring ۲۰ others during the operation.
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Pro-government Homeland Shield Forces, also known as the Quwat Dira’ al-Watan in Arabic, also thwarted a Houthi infiltration attempt on the Kahboub front, which overlooks the strategic Bab al-Mandeb strait. Government forces also reported the capture of Mount Zalat, near Kahboub, on Tuesday.
The battles in the mountainous regions of southwestern Yemen are critical because of the commanding positions the peaks being fought over provide. Qarafan overlooks valleys linking southern Taiz with western coastal areas, as the Houthis attempt to encircle government-held areas in the governorate. Kahboub, meanwhile, is significant because Houthi forces have been attempting to secure the high ground overlooking Bab al-Mandab to prevent a government counterattack and expand the territory under their control.
The Houthis, meanwhile, have claimed Saudi Arabia has conducted air strikes in Taiz, al-Jawf, and Marib. Riyadh has not confirmed the strikes.
The humanitarian toll is mounting, with recent hostilities displacing approximately ۱۳۲,۰۰۰ people, including ۷۵,۰۰۰ in Taiz alone, according to the International Organization for Migration.
UNGA diplomatic push
Meanwhile, at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Yemeni government officials are attempting to rally support for their push against the Houthis.
Presidential Leadership Council member Abdullah al-Alimi is leading Yemen’s delegation and will address the General Assembly later this week, but has already met US politicians.
Foreign Minister Afrah al-Zouba is also attending the world gathering, and called for the disarmament of non-state armed groups at a meeting on the General Assembly’s sidelines.
Other world leaders have included references to events in Yemen in their own addresses to the General Assembly.
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani addressed the assembly, reaffirming support for UN efforts to reach a comprehensive political resolution. He emphasised that any settlement must be based on the outcomes of Yemen’s ۲۰۱۳-۱۴ UN-facilitated national dialogue, in a manner that preserves Yemen’s unity, sovereignty, security, and stability.
Ireland also highlighted the crisis, expressing deep concern about the humanitarian situation and stressing that freedom of navigation must be protected in the Bab al-Mandab strait.
Tactical coastal battles
The Yemeni government is focusing its diplomatic efforts on impressing on other countries the dangers of Houthi control of the Bab al-Mandab strait, and the threat of more attacks against shipping in the region.
While the government has the support of Saudi Arabia, many other world powers are avoiding any involvement in the conflict, including the US. Washington is already entangled in a war with the Houthis’ primary ally, Iran.
The Yemeni government’s current military counterattacks against the Houthis therefore remain localised, rather than a larger campaign, analysts say.
Ibrahim Jalal, a Yemen-focused analyst, told Al Jazeera that the government’s recent attacks are an attempt to shift the momentum.
“Partially and tactically, the Yemeni Armed Forces stopped part of the Houthi rush seeking to secure and stabilise expansion on the coast, and moved to limited counter-attacks in the Taiz-Lahj [region] … while regaining dominant heights and positions,” Jalal told Al Jazeera. “The government is gradually regaining the initiative, but it has not yet launched a broad military campaign to reclaim the coast and other areas.”
Jalal noted the significance of the geography being fought over.
“Taiz is considered a key to protecting Bab al-Mandab from the east and communication routes with Lahj and Aden; therefore, regaining its dominant southern and western heights prevents the Houthis from stabilising and securing coastal gains and expanding south,” Jalal added.
Farea Al-Muslimi, a research fellow at Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa Programme, told Al Jazeera that reasserting control remains a severe challenge for government forces.
“It is impossible for the government to regain momentum unless it manages to reclaim Bab al-Mandab,” Al-Muslimi said, adding that he believes it is unlikely, despite the flat and open nature of the geography of the region, which would make it easier for air power to target the Houthis.
Al-Muslimi said that, for the Houthis, the battles in Taiz may not be about seeking full control of the governorate, but instead be a way of keeping the main battle away from their newly gained territories.
“In Taiz, in my opinion, the Houthis do not need to control it as long as they besiege it, and in reality, they will not try to control it because it is a burden more than an opportunity,” Al-Muslimi noted.
