🔶 Houthi forces captured the strategic island of Perim in the Bab el-Mandeb strait

🔶 Houthi forces captured the strategic island of Perim in the Bab el-Mandeb strait

Houthi forces backed by Iran captured the coastal city of Dhabab in Taiz province and the strategic island of Perim (Miyun) in the Bab el-Mandeb strait on Friday, 20 Shahrivar (11 September), thereby expanding their control over this important waterway.

A local official told AFP that after the withdrawal of government forces from the island on Thursday, boats carrying armed Houthi forces entered Perim. The island lies in the middle of the Bab el-Mandeb strait and divides it into two shipping routes.

The official, who did not want to be named, said that with the capture of Perim, the Houthis have taken control of the Bab el-Mandeb area.

One eyewitness reported the deployment of armed Houthi forces along the Bab el-Mandeb coast and the movement of their military vehicles in the area.

Since the start of the Houthis’ operation around Bab el-Mandeb, hundreds of people have been killed. The strait is one of the vital routes for the export of Saudi Arabia’s oil.

In response, Saudi Arabia also carried out two airstrikes on the Al-Mukha airport on Friday, 20 Shahrivar (11 September).