ADEN, Yemen, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group seized the strategic Mayun Island in the Bab al-Mandab Strait on Friday after government troops withdrew, a local government official told Xinhua.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Houthi forces had arrived on the island early Friday aboard several boats and took control without military resistance. The Houthis also deployed armored vehicles and other military equipment along the nearby coast, he said.
Houthi forces have also advanced into Dhubab district near the strait after government troops withdrew southward following the Houthis' capture of the Red Sea port city of Mocha on Thursday, the official said.
Mayun, also known as Perim, lies inside the Bab al-Mandab and divides the narrow waterway into two shipping channels. Its capture, following the Houthis' recent advances along Yemen's western coast, gives the group control of key positions overlooking the vital maritime trade route linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
The Houthis captured Mocha after fierce fighting and took control of its strategic port, airport and key government facilities. They have made rapid territorial gains along Yemen's western coast since launching a major offensive last week.
The Bab al-Mandab, between Yemen and the Horn of Africa, is a critical corridor for international trade and energy shipments, linking the Red Sea and Suez Canal with the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.
The latest developments come amid an escalation in Yemen's conflict. The country has been mired in conflict since late 2014, when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, forcing the internationally recognized government out of the capital. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in the conflict in 2015 in support of the Yemeni government. ■
