Yemen Fighting Escalates as Houthis Push Toward Bab al-Mandab
More than 120 people have been killed in the latest clashes between Yemen’s Houthi forces and government-aligned troops, in what is being described as the deadliest fighting in the country in years.
The fighting erupted Thursday after Houthi forces launched a major ground offensive supported by rocket and drone attacks along western Yemen and around the Taiz region.
Yemeni military sources say the Houthis are attempting to cut off the government-held port city of Mokha from other government-controlled areas while advancing toward positions overlooking the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait
The initial casualty figures included at least 39 government fighters and 42 Houthi fighters, but the overall death toll has since risen above 120, according to military and medical sources cited by AFP.
The escalation is raising concerns over the security of Bab al-Mandab, a critical maritime chokepoint connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and a major route for international commercial shipping.