Yemeni govt, Saudi-led forces retake strategic Red Sea strait
A tribal fighter loyal to Yemen's government gestures as he stands at the frontline of fighting against Houthi militants in the central province of Marib September 30, 2015. Tribal fighters backed by a Saudi-coalition won control of a strategic dam in Marib from Houthi forces on Tuesday but lost ground in the south near the port of Aden, where President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's government is based, residents and officials said. REUTERS/Stringer
Loyalist Yemeni troops and Gulf Arab forces have seized the Mandab Strait connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden from Houthi militants, reasserting control over the strategic sea lane, a government spokesman said on Thursday.
Residents reported air strikes and shelling by warships in support of a ground push toward the area but could not immediately confirm that the strait had fallen.
