Giants Brigade returns to Yemen coast in offensive against Houthi forces

The Giants Brigade, a militia established by the United Arab Emirates, has returned to active combat against Houthi forces along Yemen’s Red Sea coast. This resurgence highlights growing tensions and conflicting objectives within the Arab coalition, as the militia operates under the influence of both Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.

Following a rapid Houthi offensive that seized control of Yemen’s southwest coast last month, government forces—supported by Saudi Arabian fighter jets and American intelligence—launched a counter-offensive earlier this week. While government troops have successfully pushed Houthi fighters northward along the coastline, they have yet to secure the mountainous terrain above the Bab al-Mandab strait, which remains under Houthi control.

Fighting has also broken out near two locations on the outskirts of Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city. The conflict currently involves a protracted struggle for control over strategic hills, roads, and supply lines, serving as a proxy battlefield for the competing interests of Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.