SANAA, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Fierce fighting erupted near Yemen's strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait on Sunday as government forces launched a fresh offensive against Houthi positions in the area, a government military official told Xinhua.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said units from the Giants Brigades and Nation Shield Forces advanced from several directions to seize key Houthis-held positions overlooking approaches to the strait.
Heavy clashes were raging as Houthi fighters resisted the advance from fortified positions and trenches, the official said, adding that extensive minefields had complicated the government forces' push.
"The fighting is among the fiercest we have seen in the area," the official said. "The Houthis are heavily entrenched, and our forces are trying to break through their defensive lines."
The official said the Houthis also deployed fiberoptic-guided first-person-view kamikaze drones known as "Shawaz" against the advancing government troops.
Several people on both sides were killed or wounded in the fighting, the official said, without giving specific figures.
The outcome of the offensive remained unclear as clashes continued, with no confirmation of significant territorial gains.
The latest push follows previous attempts by government forces to break through Houthi defenses in the area. Bab al-Mandab, separating Yemen from the Horn of Africa, connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and serves as a vital passage for international trade. ■
