Yemen’s government says it repelled Houthi attack on key supply route to Aden

Yemen’s Saudi-backed government forces repelled overnight attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis on a key supply route to the southern port city of Aden, where the internationally recognized administration is based, government sources say.

The steep, winding mountain pass, known as Hejat al-Abd, is a lifeline for forces fighting on behalf of Yemen’s government, which has been hemmed in by a lightning Houthi advance this month linked to the Iran war.

The road is also critical for goods entering Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city, and its southern and western rural areas. It is the only route for residents seeking to travel abroad, with no commercial flights operating from Houthi-controlled areas.

The Houthis have kept up pressure on government forces as they seek to consolidate gains made nearly two weeks ago, when their offensive along Yemen’s western coast brought them to the shores of the Red Sea’s strategic Bab el-Mandeb waterway.