CNN: Saudi ‘ghost soldiers’ helped cost Riyadh control of Yemen’s Red Sea coast and Bab al‑Mandab
A CNN report says Saudi Arabia’s loss of control over Yemen’s western coastline and the Bab al‑Mandab strait stemmed from systemic failures, including Saudi‑loyalist units whose rosters were up to 80% “ghost soldiers” that existed only on paper.
Saudi Arabia’s military setbacks in Yemen have been linked in detail to the loss of influence over a coastline that overlooks one of the world’s vital shipping lanes.
A CNN report explains how Riyadh’s campaign in western Yemen collapsed, allowing Houthi forces to seize a coastal strip facing the Bab al‑Mandab strait. That waterway connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and anchors traffic to and from the Suez Canal. CNN describes the episode as a “colossal Saudi failure”.
According to CNN’s sources, a core problem was “ghost soldiers” in Saudi‑loyalist formations. These were troops who appeared on rosters and drew salaries and equipment but were absent from the front. In some areas later captured by the Houthis, as much as 80% of listed personnel were fictitious, the report says.
That left thin real forces to defend key ground. When Houthi fighters advanced, units that looked strong on paper lacked the manpower to hold the western Yemeni coast.
For civilians along that shoreline, Saudi failure meant rapid swings in control and, ultimately, Houthi dominance along key stretches. Those communities now live under a movement that has previously used drones and missiles against Saudi territory and shipping in the Red Sea.
Bab al‑Mandab is a chokepoint for tankers and container ships moving between Europe and Asia. When Houthi forces hold parts of the adjacent coast and have a track record of attacking vessels, the perceived risk to shipping rises and can influence routing and insurance.
CNN’s reporting on “ghost soldiers” and command failures challenges any picture of a solid Saudi‑led coalition undone mainly by outside interference. It instead points to corruption and hollow force structures as a central reason Riyadh couldn’t hold the coast.
For countries that see Saudi Arabia as a pillar of regional security, the account raises questions about how much to rely on Riyadh to protect sea lanes. Any Saudi effort to restructure proxy forces in western Yemen, and any change in Houthi capabilities along the coast, will be key signs of whether this vulnerability at Bab al‑Mandab hardens or eases.
Sources
- OSINT