Houthi fighters have progressed toward the coastal highway in the Lahij governorate, potentially cutting the sole remaining land link between the port of Aden and Saudi-backed forces stationed near the Bab al-Mandeb strait. Ansarallah forces claimed to have captured the strategic heights of Jabal Kharaz and the adjacent Al-Kharaz camp on Nov 14, which would allow them to establish fire control over the road and effectively place thousands of Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) troops under land siege.
The claims come after several days of volatile fighting that began on Nov 11, with the government-aligned Giants Brigades stating they repelled Houthi assaults in the same district. While Saudi aircraft have conducted airstrikes against Houthi logistics in southern Taiz and Lahij to support a counteroffensive, the current Houthi advance threatens to isolate government units on the Red Sea coast and create a direct military path toward the political center of Aden.