SANAA, Yemen — Forces allied with the internationally recognized government of Yemen seized control of a strategic Red Sea port Monday after attacking Shiite rebels, a top military commander said.
Brig. Gen. Ahmed Seif al-Yafai said in news remarks that his forces had entered the city of Mokha, where dozens of families were seen fleeing days of clashes and bombardment. Dozens of fighters were killed and the bodies of the slain men littered streets and sidewalks, witnesses said.
Mokha, one of Yemen’s oldest ports, is seen as a weapons lifeline to the rebels and their allies — who control the capital, Sanaa, and much of the northern region.
If Yemen-backed forces manage to seize the ports, the rebels — known as Houthis — will be largely cut off from the outside world; a Saudi-led coalition has enforced a nofly zone that has kept the Sanaa airport closed.