Houthis Push Towards Strategic Red Sea Waterway Amid Deadly Fighting

Fighting erupted on Thursday in Yemen as Houthi rebels launched a ground assault and rocket attacks near coastal areas, aiming to control the Bab al-Mandab strait at the Red Sea's southern entrance.

The Houthis' offensive seeks to cut off the government-held port city of Mokha, which has been under fire for weeks, and advance towards areas bordering the Bab al-Mandab, according to military sources. The rebels have seized elevated sites overlooking government positions near the Red Sea, the coastal town of Khokha, and Taiz city further inland.

The Houthis could target ships from these elevated positions, said a military source and a Taiz official who wished to remain anonymous. The rebels have repeatedly attacked Saudi ships in recent weeks in the Red Sea, which has emerged as an alternative route for oil exports after Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

A total of 81 people have been killed, including 24 government soldiers and 15 Houthi militants. Medical sources reported that at least 42 Houthi militants were also killed in areas under their control.