Yemeni government-aligned forces said they had taken control of the Kahboub mountain front overlooking the Bab al-Mandeb strait, as fighting disrupted education and humanitarian work in Taiz governorate.
Nation Shield forces, the Giants Brigades and Joint Forces announced the gain as part of Operation Yemen Dawn, according to an Asharq News update published on 8 October.
Anbaa Aden reported on 7 October that the announcement came from Nation Shield’s media centre. Its report said the statement provided no additional details about the positions captured or losses during the operation.
The announcement concerns a front overlooking Bab al-Mandeb, rather than confirmation that the entire surrounding coast is secure. The strait connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and separates Yemen from the Horn of Africa, according to NASA satellite imagery documentation.
In Taiz, the provincial emergency committee ordered the suspension of classes in Houthi-controlled districts until further notice, the Yemeni news outlet Almaqatera News reported on 8 October.
The measure covers public and private schools, universities, colleges and institutes. The committee cited exceptional security conditions and the difficulty of maintaining normal study and work.
Government employees in the affected districts were also granted temporary leave, with their employment rights protected, according to the same report. Essential workers in health, water and sanitation were exempted where conditions allowed them to work safely.
The committee said classes and normal work would resume only after a further official decision.
The fighting has also interrupted mine-clearance operations. The British charity HALO Trust’s Yemen director, Mara van der Kamp, told The National that some staff had fled Taiz for Aden while others remained unable to leave until roads reopened.
The National’s 7 October report put the number of stranded staff at about 30 and said supply routes from Aden had been cut.
Van der Kamp said people were moving towards Aden and displacement camps, while shelters in Lahj were crowded. The charity had suspended clearance projects on the west coast and redeployed teams to Lahj and Ad Dhale.
She warned that renewed fighting could create additional explosive hazards in areas already affected by mines and unexploded ordnance. According to The National, the charity remained uncertain when its teams could resume work in Taiz.
