Houthi Rebels Capture Two Cities North of Aden Port

On Tuesday, March 24, Houthi fighters in Yemen advanced military columns from various directions closer to Aden, the residence of ousted President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, and captured two cities north of Aden. According to Reuters, a Houthi official emphasized that they do not intend to capture Aden but want to defend the country against the advance of radical Islamists. Local officials and residents reported that Houthi militants and their allied military units seized the city of Qirsh, located 100 kilometers north of Aden, after heavy battles with forces loyal to Hadi. Qirsh is on the north-south highway and is 40 kilometers from the Al-Anad airbase, which is still under the control of Hadi loyalists. Security officials and local residents also stated that another group of Houthi forces entered the port of Al-Mokha at night. The advance of the Iranian-backed Houthis to this port brings them very close to the strategic Bab al-Mandab waterway, a passage for oil tankers. In the village of Turba in Taiz province, which was captured by the Houthis a few days ago, protesters and armed opponents clashed with Houthi forces. Local medical sources reported that at least four people were killed and several others injured in the soldiers' shooting at the protesters. The Shiite Houthis claim that Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, the president who fled from Sana'a in February and took refuge in Aden, is a puppet of the Gulf monarchies and Western countries. Hadi's loyal forces have deployed tanks and artillery on some roads connecting northern Yemen to the south. Local tribes, militants, and military units loyal to him are resisting the Houthi advance southward, and reports of intensified sporadic clashes between the two sides have emerged in recent days. Meanwhile, Mohammed al-Bukhayti, a Houthi official, told Reuters that their forces are defending Yemen against Islamist militants and do not have their eyes set on capturing Aden. He added that the Houthis see no reason to change the location of peace talks from Yemen to Qatar but do not strongly oppose it. A source from the Qatari Foreign Ministry stated that Doha accepts hosting peace talks between opposing factions in Yemen. The rise of the Shiite Houthis has initiated a new chapter of instability in Yemen, a country that is a constant neighbor of turbulent Saudi Arabia and the frontline in the U.S. fight against Islamist militants like Al-Qaeda, which use Yemen for operations across the region. With the entry into Al-Mokha, the Houthis are now 80 kilometers from the strategic Bab al-Mandab waterway, which connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean via the Suez Canal and the Red Sea. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, in 2013, 3.4 million barrels of oil passed through this waterway daily. In the eastern part of the country, Houthi units entered the city of Al-Dhale on Tuesday, which is a traditional stronghold of southern separatists. Local residents reported that Houthi militants engaged in armed clashes with tribal members and southern independence supporters. The Houthis' entry into Al-Dhale marks their first advance into southern regions of the country, which had maintained a form of independence from the central government through armed conflict for years. The U.S. ambassador to Yemen said on Monday in Washington that political participation and power-sharing among rival factions in Yemen is still possible, but the U.S. and Western countries need to make decisions quickly. Matthew Tueller told Reuters, 'If Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi is captured or his government falls in Aden, which could happen quickly, effective political dialogue will no longer be possible.' Following the deterioration of the situation, the U.S. evacuated the remaining embassy staff in Yemen, including 100 special operations personnel, on Saturday. Riyad Yasin, Yemen's foreign minister, called on Gulf countries on Monday to intervene militarily to stop the Houthi advance. Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal stated that Gulf countries are taking measures to support Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. He accused Iran of exacerbating sectarian tensions in the region.