Aden-Aligned Forces Pull Back Near Bab el-Mandeb as Rival Yemeni Camps Trade Accusations
Local reports from southern Yemen say Aden-aligned forces have withdrawn from Bab el-Mandeb and parts of Lahij’s Madaribah district after earlier gains, deepening a rift with the Presidential Leadership Council as each side accuses the other of retreat.
The battle for influence in southern Yemen is shifting again, this time around the Bab el-Mandeb area and nearby districts of Lahij governorate.
Reports from the ground describe another collapse of forces aligned with Aden in the Madaribah district. Earlier, these units had taken the center of the Shatin district and advanced toward the coast. By Wednesday morning, they were said to be pulling back.
Commentary on the situation notes that events previously seen in Mokha are now being repeated in Lahij. According to these accounts, Aden’s forces have begun their withdrawal from Bab el-Mandeb and the rest of the Madaribah district. Observers describe the front line as highly fluid and say it is necessary to wait to see where positions ultimately stabilize.
The withdrawals are feeding a political and military rift. Southern forces and the internationally recognized Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) are accusing one another of retreating while claiming that their own fighters remain at their combat posts. That mutual blame reflects deeper tension over command, territory and responsibility for setbacks.
At the same time, Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthi movement, continues to apply pressure on various fronts. Separate reporting says Houthi forces have struck numerous PLC vehicles and positions using armed drones, including Rajoum hexacopter drones equipped with air-dropped O-832 / Type 53 pattern bombs and improvised munitions of 82mm and 120mm caliber.
These developments underline how contested control remains in areas that carry both local and wider importance, from Lahij’s inland districts to coastal approaches.
Key indicators to watch include whether Aden-aligned units attempt to re-enter Bab el-Mandeb and Madaribah, whether the PLC moves to reassert clearer authority over southern formations, and whether further Houthi drone strikes are reported against PLC-aligned positions in the same zones.
Sources
- OSINT