Houthi forces in Yemen say they have taken control of a large stretch of territory in the country's west in recent days, including ground near the Bab el-Mandeb strait, according to 中国网新闻中心. The reported advance comes as a Saudi oil pipeline was struck by drones, an attack Saudi Arabia condemned while saying it would not respond at this stage, 中国网新闻中心 reports.
The pipeline attack was carried out by drones that came from Iraq, according to the same report. Saudi authorities issued a strong condemnation of the strike but declined to comment further for now. The reports place the two developments close together in time, with the Houthi advance and the pipeline strike both emerging in the same news cycle.
The Bab el-Mandeb strait sits at the southern end of the Red Sea and is a passage for a significant share of global shipping and energy traffic. Control of territory near the strait has been contested through Yemen's long conflict. 中国网新闻中心 describes the Houthi land gains in western Yemen as extensive, though the report does not give precise figures or name specific locations beyond the strait area.
