Yemeni government forces announced today they were withdrawing from the area near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait to focus on a defence of their main base in Aden, in a major setback for the Saudi-backed campaign against the Iran-aligned Houthis. By Mohammed Ghobari Nov 15 (Reuters) - Yemeni government forces announced on Sunday they were withdrawing from the area near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to focus on a defence of their main base.