Yemen War Flares Again as 63 Killed in 24 Hours Near Bab al-Mandab

At least 63 people were killed in fighting between Yemeni government forces and Houthi fighters around the Bab al-Mandab strait over the past 24 hours, according to military sources from both sides cited by AFP on Saturday. The toll includes 35 government troops and 28 Houthi fighters, the sources said.

The battles erupted after Yemen's Saudi-backed government launched a major military operation on Friday to recapture territory held by the Houthis, including areas near the strategically vital shipping route. A government military source told AFP the advance is continuing around the strait, though the area is not yet fully under government control, and Mayun Island in the middle of the waterway reportedly remains in Houthi hands.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a statement on Telegram that his forces repelled the pro-Saudi push, claiming they turned back a troop concentration attempting to move from Lahj toward Bab al-Mandab. Neither side's accounts could be independently verified, as the battlefield situation is changing rapidly and journalists have limited access to the conflict zone.

The operation is part of a retaliation campaign the internationally recognized government announced last week, after the Iran-backed Houthis seized Yemen's entire western coastline in a rapid offensive. Saudi Arabia leads an international military coalition supporting the government in the war against the Houthis and provided air support for the offensive, a government military source confirmed to AFP.

Early Saturday, the Saudi-led coalition said it destroyed more than 130 Houthi targets in a large-scale operation. The renewed escalation around Bab al-Mandab, a key global shipping corridor, comes amid a wider surge in regional hostilities, including Houthi missile attacks on Saudi airports.