Sanaa: Yemen’s Houthi's launched a major offensive against military forces loyal to the internationally recognised government based in Aden in a bid to increase their control over the Red Sea, The Bab al Mandab strait which has become a contested chokepoint for international shipping and has gained increased importance after Iran’s closure of the Hormuz Strait. The Bab el Mandeb strait is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world and connects the Red Sea to the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal, the Mediterranean.

Earlier Houthi attacks on shipping in the strait at the beginning of the genocide in Gaza forced the US to intervene with airstrikes in order to bring the Houthis to the negotiating table to reopen the strategic waterway.

The latest fighting erupted on Thursday after the Houthis launched ground assault supported by rocket and drone attacks on coastal areas held by the internationally recognised government. The Houthi offensive aims to cut off the government-held port city of Mokha, under fire for weeks, and advance towards areas bordering the Bab al-Mandab, military sources said. Both sides confirmed the death toll at 131.