ADEN, Yemen, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Fighting intensified between Yemen's government forces and the Houthi group in rugged terrain overlooking the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait on Wednesday, as both sides rushed reinforcements to the front, a Yemeni military official told Xinhua.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said fierce clashes were raging in the Kahbub mountain range in Yemen's southern Lahj province on Wednesday night after Houthi members launched a fresh attempt to break through government defensive positions.
Government forces repelled the advance and launched a counterattack, recapturing several heights overlooking approaches to the Bab al-Mandab Strait after hours of fighting that remained ongoing, with several fighters killed on both sides, the official said.
The official said government forces also shot down a Houthi reconnaissance drone over the Kahbub front during the fighting on Wednesday evening.
Both sides have deployed additional fighters and military equipment to the area as clashes continue across the mountainous frontline, he added.
The Kahbub heights are strategically significant because of their proximity to Bab al-Mandab, the narrow waterway that has become a key battleground between the warring sides in Yemen.
The Houthis have made major territorial gains along Yemen's Red Sea coast, capturing the strategic port city of Mocha on Sept. 10 before seizing Mayun Island at the heart of the Bab al-Mandab Strait on Sept. 11. The strait is a vital maritime chokepoint connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
Yemen's conflict erupted in late 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government. ■
