Yemen troops expel rebels near strategic Red Sea strait

ADEN , Yemen, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Troops loyal to Yemen's president recaptured the strategic Bab Al-Mandab strait in the Red Sea, a military official said Thursday.

The narrow waterway separates the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa, linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. The strait was cleared of Shia Houthi rebels loyal to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who overthrew the government in 2014 and overran the cities of Sanaa, the capital, and Aden.

"We cleared the coastline and entire mountains that overlook Bab Al-Mandab region," Maj. Gen. Ahmad Saif told the Dubai-based Gulf News.

Airstrikes by a Saudi-led coalition led the way for a movement on the rebels' position near the strait Thursday by troops loyal to Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Masour Hadi.

The airstrikes across Yemen began in March, allowing pro-Hadi forces to retake territory in Aden province. Hadi returned to Yemen in September after escaping, six months ago to Saudi Arabia.