Did Yemeni government forces retake Dhubab near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in October 2026?

Yes, according to Yemeni officials. On October 5, 2026, forces allied with Yemen’s internationally recognized government retook the town of Dhubab, just north of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, from the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, and also captured the nearby towns of Bab and Hadeid, the Associated Press reported. Witnesses said they saw government tanks and troops entering the towns.

The advance was part of a major offensive launched early that Monday under Saudi-led coalition air cover, which Presidential Leadership Council chairman Rashad al-Alimi called Operation “Yemen Dawn.” Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki said 100 fighter jets were supporting the push. The Houthis had taken control of the Yemeni side of the strait, a chokepoint for about 12% of global trade, after seizing Mokha and several Red Sea islands in early September.

Source: PBS News (Associated Press): Saudi-backed coalition forces Houthis from several areas around key strait, Yemeni officials say

Image: Bab el-Mandeb Strait from space, NASA Johnson Space Center, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.