ADEN, Yemen, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group had advanced to positions roughly 70 km from the southern port city of Aden, the seat of Yemen's internationally recognized government, a government military source told Xinhua on Sunday.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Yemen's government forces have abandoned their limited territorial gains around the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait just 40 days into a major offensive supported by the Saudi-led coalition, adding that the Houthis had consolidated control over Bab al-Mandab and surrounding areas.
"The offensive has failed, and there is no clear plan for what comes next," the source said, warning that the withdrawal had weakened defensive positions along Aden's western approaches and heightened concerns over a possible Houthi advance toward the city.
Residents in western Aden's Al-Buraiqeh district told Xinhua they could clearly hear explosions and sounds of fighting from nearby areas, while witnessing columns of military vehicles and troops returning from the Bab al-Mandab front throughout Sunday.
The developments came as government-aligned forces announced their withdrawal from positions overlooking Bab al-Mandab. The withdrawal came after Houthi fighters seized several strategic positions in the southern province of Lahj, including areas overlooking key routes toward Aden and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Yemen has been mired in conflict since late 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and much of northern Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government. ■
