Yemen government forces retake Al Labanat camp from Houthis

Yemeni government forces said on Monday they had retaken the Al Labanat military camp in Al Jawf province from the Houthis, in a new offensive that is opening additional fronts as fighting intensifies across the country.

Military and field sources said government forces seized the camp and surrounding positions after a surprise assault launched early on Monday. Local reports also said troops had secured defensive positions around the facility before completing the takeover.

The operation forms part of a wider push in Al Jawf and Al Bayda, with government forces seeking to regain territory held by the Houthis and put pressure on their positions from several directions.

Al Labanat is considered an important military position because of its location near routes linking Al Jawf with Marib and areas farther west towards Sanaa. The camp has also been used by the Houthis as a military facility, according to Yemeni reports.

The reported capture follows an attack on the camp on Sunday. Yemen's military said it used newly introduced capabilities during the operation and destroyed Houthi military equipment and personnel, without providing casualty figures.

The latest developments are part of a wider escalation that has spread across western and central Yemen. Government forces have reported advances in parts of Taiz and Hodeidah, while fighting has also intensified in Al Bayda and Al Jawf.

On Sunday, the Yemeni military said its forces had carried out operations against Houthi positions in Al Jawf, including areas around Al Labanat, Al Alam and the provincial centre. It also reported 13 air strikes against Houthi positions in Al Bayda and attacks on targets in Taiz, Hodeidah and Marib. Those claims have not been independently verified.

The escalation follows the collapse in July of the relative calm that had prevailed along many Yemeni front lines since the UN-brokered truce of April 2022. The renewed fighting has included major clashes along the western coast, where control of territory near the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait has become a central military objective.

The strategic importance of the area extends beyond Yemen. Bab al-Mandeb connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and is a major route for international shipping. Recent fighting along Yemen's western coast has raised renewed concerns over the security of the maritime corridor.

The latest reports indicate that government forces have consolidated their position at Al Labanat, but the broader offensive remains under way and the extent of any further territorial gains in Al Jawf is not yet clear.