00:24This is the village of Al-Fatihah.
00:29A stunning shift is unfolding on Yemen's western coast as Ansarallah forces reportedly
00:36seize control of the strategic Red Sea port city of Mocha.
00:42Three anti-Houthi Yemeni government officials told Reuters that Houthi forces captured Mocha
00:49on Thursday, September 10, as Saudi-backed and government-aligned forces withdrew from
00:55the city.
00:56Videos and photos circulating online appeared to show Houthi fighters inside Mocha, while
01:03reports describe a rapid collapse of anti-Houthi positions across large parts of the western
01:09coast.
01:11The advance reportedly did not stop at Mocha.
01:14Over roughly 24 hours, Houthi forces were reported to have captured several strategic locations
01:21across western Tez and southern al-Hudaydah, including Hais, al-Kaoka, al-Wazia, Moza, the
01:30Khalid ibn al-Walid military camp and Jabal al-Nar.
01:34The speed of the advance has put enormous pressure on Saudi-backed forces and units linked to
01:41the national resistance forces.
01:43Mocha is especially important because of where it sits.
01:47The city lies on Yemen's Red Sea coast, only around 75 to 70 kilometers from the Bab al-Mandab,
01:56strait one of the world's most critical maritime choke points connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf
02:02of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
02:04For years, Mocha served as a major logistical hub for anti-Houthi forces led by Tariq Saleh.
02:12Now, Houthi control of the city could dramatically strengthen Ansar Allah's position along the
02:18Red Sea and potentially increase its leverage over one of the world's busiest shipping corridors.
02:24And the retreat of Saudi-backed forces has triggered an extraordinary reaction from within the anti-Houthi
02:32camp.
02:32A PLC-aligned commander publicly acknowledged that forces were fleeing the western coast and
02:39described the withdrawals as a betrayal.
02:42A PLC-aligned commander of the chief in the Washington State of U.S.
03:12This is being with Allah
03:13Thank you
03:13In my Hail Allah
03:16I will return to the house
03:18Until we become
03:20We will sing
03:23During our house
03:27We will return to Him
03:30Thank you
03:31Thank you
03:32This is the great
03:32In shale Allah
03:35This is the house
03:39This is inside the house
03:44In a widely circulated video statement, the commander criticized fighters and units for
03:50abandoning their positions, while insisting that his remaining forces would continue fighting.
03:56The remarks come as reports describe widespread withdrawals by al-Amalaka, or Giants Brigades,
04:03and other forces linked to Tariq Saleh from positions around Hais, al-Qaoka, and Mocha.
04:10Some reports have also described attempts to stop the retreat, including checkpoints aimed
04:15at preventing forces and vehicles from leaving the front.
04:19Meanwhile, Tariq Saleh reportedly ordered his forces to regroup and establish an alternative
04:25command center in a secure location in coordination with the coalition and the presidential leadership
04:32council.
04:33But the battlefield picture remains fluid.
04:36While Reuters-sourced officials and visual reports support the assessment that Houthis
04:41have taken Mocha, national resistance forces have claimed that their forces are reorganizing
04:47and consolidating defenses.
04:50The RNRF has also reported clashes with Houthi naval elements, suggesting that resistance
04:56could continue in parts of the area even after the reported capture of the city.
05:01The offensive itself follows weeks of escalating attacks.
05:06Houthis had already launched missile and drone attacks around Mocha and other coastal
05:11positions, while anti-Houthi forces faced increasing pressure along the Western Front.
05:17The latest ground offensive appears aimed at cutting key supply routes, breaking anti-Houthi defensive
05:24lines, and pushing toward strategically important coastal territory.
05:28If Houthi control of Mocha holds, the consequences could stretch far beyond Yemen.
05:35The city's proximity to Bab al-Mandab gives Ansar Allah a potentially stronger position near
05:42a vital global shipping route, at a time when regional tensions are already running dangerously
05:48high.
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