Giants Brigades lead southern Yemen fightback against the Houthis

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that Yemen’s Southern Giants Brigades have become a leading force in a new anti-Houthi offensive in the country’s south, underscoring both their military role and the complicated politics around them. The campaign began on October 5, when groups linked to the Southern Transitional Council and troops of Yemen’s internationally recognised government launched an advance near the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a strategically important passage by the Red Sea.

By Monday, the pro-government side said its fighters had cut the main road between the port city of Mocha and Bab al-Mandeb, describing it as an early significant gain in the wider effort to push the Houthis from territory they control. The article says the move followed a call by Rashid al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, for a major offensive against the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah.

The report places the Giants Brigades within Yemen’s shifting alliances. The force, led by Abd al-Rahman Abu Zaraa al-Muharrami, emerged from the southern anti-Houthi war effort in 2015 and later took part in offensives on the western coast and in Shabwa. Al Jazeera says the group is believed to have been backed by the UAE and has operated alongside both southern separatist-aligned factions and government forces.

The article also notes that the fighting raises questions about whether the brigades are acting as a national anti-Houthi force or advancing southern political aims, especially because the current offensive is concentrated in former South Yemen areas. Supporters say the cooperation shows broad unity against the Houthis; critics point to separatist symbolism on the ground.