Houthi forces have captured Hais in Yemen’s southern Hodeidah province after Saudi-backed forces reportedly abandoned the city, Qatar-based media reported, citing sources on the ground.
The reported withdrawal saw the Saudi-backed forces moving toward Mokha, a strategically important port city further south on Yemen’s Red Sea coast, the reports said.
The development could be a major shift in control of Yemen’s western coastline, where Iran-backed Houthi forces and Saudi-backed government troops have renewed fighting.
The Houthis, who control the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, and much of the north and west of the country, have stepped up their military operations in recent days. Fighting has intensified around Hodeidah and Taiz, stoking fears Yemen’s fragile truce could unravel into a wider conflict.
Houthi forces were advancing toward key coastal areas including Mokha and Dhubab, Reuters reported Thursday, which could bring the group closer to the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a major international shipping route that connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
There was no immediate independent confirmation of reports that Hais had fallen to the Houthis. There was no immediate comment from the Saudi-backed forces on whether they were withdrawing.
