Houthis complete takeover of Bab al-Mandab area
This handout satellite image from Copernicus Sentinel Data taken on Sept. 10, 2016, shows black smoke billowing over the desert southeast of Medina along the general route of Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline (Petroline).(Photo by Handout / 2026 Copernicus Sentinel Data / AFP)
Yemen’s Houthis took over on Sept. 11 a Red Sea island in the middle of the Bab al-Mandab shipping lane, completing their push to control the area, a local government official and eyewitnesses told AFP.
“Boats carrying armed Houthi fighters reached Mayyun Island after government forces withdrew from it yesterday,” the official said, referring to an island also known as Perim that divides the strait into lanes.
“The Houthis have completed their takeover of the Bab al-Mandab area and Mayyun Island, which is located in the middle of the strait,” he added, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity.
