Houthis advance to within 80 km of Aden, closest approach since 2015

Houthi fighters moved to within 80 kilometres of Aden on 2 November, the closest they have come to Yemen’s temporary capital since the opening months of the war in 2015. Four military sources told Reuters that the group overran Al-Maqatirah district after launching an assault three days earlier. Government forces fell back to a military camp at the entrance to Tur al-Bahah district, where fighting continued on Monday.

Al-Maqatirah is mountainous terrain that overlooks the main road linking Aden with Taiz. Taiz has been under effective siege since early October after the Houthis blocked its southern route. The sources said the new advance gives the Houthis a chance to outflank government positions along the range that looks down on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Fighting and recent strikes

The camp at Tur al-Bahah sits roughly 50 km from Lahj, the provincial capital, and 80 km from Aden. Government troops had expelled Houthi fighters from the same area only weeks earlier. On Monday the two sides clashed at the camp while the Houthis also intensified attacks on Aden itself. They struck Aden airport the previous Wednesday after warning residents to evacuate; the presidential palace was hit in October.

Separately, Houthi officials reported that Saudi-led coalition strikes hit Ras Issa port and an oil facility in Bajil district in Hodeidah province. Health ministry spokesman Anees Alasbahi said seven people were wounded: four at the port and three at the oil facility. The coalition described the strikes as a precision operation against resources used by the Houthis.

Wider campaign and displacement

The push toward Aden follows a broader Houthi offensive that began in September. That campaign produced territorial gains along the Red Sea coast, including positions near the Bab el-Mandeb. The strait carries a significant share of Saudi oil exports to Asia. The sources said the latest move could allow the Houthis to bypass government forces still holding the mountains above the waterway.

The siege of Taiz has already driven more than 100,000 people from their homes, according to the same sources. Food, medicine and fuel have become scarce inside the city. No independent count of casualties from the Al-Maqatirah fighting has been released. Local media in Aden reported increased shelling and drone activity over the weekend but did not give precise figures.

Strategic stakes

Aden has served as the seat of Yemen’s internationally recognised government since the Houthis took Sanaa in 2014 and were driven from the southern city in 2015 with Saudi and Emirati support. A sustained Houthi presence within 80 km would place the temporary capital under direct artillery and drone threat and could cut the remaining overland link to Taiz.

The advance occurs while the Houthis remain engaged in the wider conflict linked to the Iran war and Red Sea shipping disruptions. No public statement from the recognised government or the Saudi-led coalition has outlined a specific counter-plan for the Tur al-Bahah sector. The four military sources who spoke to Reuters described the situation as fluid, with government units still holding the camp but under pressure.

Whether the Houthis can convert the territorial gain into a lasting presence depends on their ability to resupply through the mountains and on the speed of any government or coalition response. For now the line sits 80 km from Aden, closer than at any point in the past eleven years.