Houthis seize key city on Red Sea

SANAA, Yemen (AFP) — Yemen’s Houthis seized control of the strategic Red Sea port city of Mokha on Thursday, a Yemeni military source told Agence France-Presse (AFP), as the Iran-backed group reported fresh strikes by Saudi forces.

The Houthis, who control large parts of northwest Yemen, launched a large-scale offensive last week against Yemeni government forces, who are backed by Saudi Arabia.

They also launched attacks on Saudi territory that left dozens of people wounded, in a conflict that has reignited during the Middle East war that began with United States-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February.

Witnesses told AFP they saw Houthi forces entering Mokha on Thursday while chanting “death to America, death to Israel.”

The Yemeni military source said they were advancing towards the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait “after having taken control of Mokha.”

The waterway, which links Asia to Europe via the Red Sea and Suez Canal, has gained importance as a transit route since the start of the wider Middle East war, which saw Iran blockade the Strait of Hormuz.

The military source said the Houthis also seized Zuqar Island, in the southern Red Sea, “after rocket attacks and a ground assault carried out using boats transporting fighters.”

Also on Thursday, the Houthis reported airstrikes.

“The Saudi enemy’s air force conducted around 40 strikes in recent hours in the governorates of Taiz, Hodeida, Al-Jawf and Marib,” Houthi news agency Saba said.

Since last week, the fighting in Yemen has left more than 500 dead, mostly combatants, according to an AFP tally compiled from several sources.

It has also forced nearly 20,000 people to flee their homes, the International Organization for Migration said on Tuesday.