Aden, Yemen – In a proactive move to secure international maritime corridors, the Yemeni National Resistance naval forces announced today, Sunday, that they have thwarted an infiltration attempt by Houthi armed boats near the strategic Zuqar Island in the Bab al-Mandab Strait. This security development coincided with the repelling of a violent Houthi ground attack in Hodeidah province, putting military units on high alert across various fronts.
Naval Infiltration Thwarted in Bab al-Mandab
The Yemeni National Resistance stated that its naval forces detected armed Houthi boats attempting to approach Zuqar Island—the largest in the Hanish archipelago—from the direction of the international shipping lane in the Red Sea. The forces engaged the boats directly, forcing them to retreat toward the Faza area, south of Hodeidah. This marks the first attempt of its kind since the UN-brokered truce began in 2022, signaling a potential shift in the group’s engagement tactics in one of the world’s most critical maritime corridors.
Repelling a Ground Attack in Hodeidah
The Houthi escalation was not confined to the naval front. The National Resistance announced that it repelled a major ground attack targeting its positions in the “Jabal Dhabas” area south of Hodeidah. Fierce clashes ensued after Houthi movements were detected toward the positions of the 14th Infantry Brigade. The statement confirmed that resistance forces forced the attackers to retreat after inflicting direct human and material losses, emphasizing their continued military readiness to deal with any further breach attempts.
These operations have raised serious concerns within the international community regarding the erosion of the fragile truce in Yemen. Observers believe that the Houthi maneuvers—closely aligned with Tehran—are part of the group’s policy of “mutual threats,” particularly in light of previous rhetoric about closing the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Targeting Zuqar Island, which overlooks maritime traffic in the region, presents new challenges to the security of international trade routes, potentially leading to a wider wave of escalation that transcends local frontlines.
