7 Houthis killed in clashes near Bab el-Mandeb Strait

ADEN, Sept 19: Seven Houthi members, including a senior commander, were killed in clashes near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in southwestern Yemen, a Yemeni government official said Saturday.

Deputy Information Minister Abdulbasit al-Qaedi said on X that Houthi commander Firaq Mohsen al-Assar and six of his aides were killed on the Kahboub front, a mountainous area overlooking the strategic strait.

The Houthis did not immediately comment on the claim. However, activists close to the group mourned al-Assar without providing details about the circumstances of his death.

The Kahboub front has reportedly witnessed fierce clashes in recent days between Yemeni government forces and the Houthis.

Yemen has been embroiled in civil war since the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and several provinces in 2014. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government.

Fighting has intensified since early July across several fronts in Marib, Al-Jawf, Taiz, Lahj and Al-Bayda provinces after years of relative calm.

The Houthis have claimed advances in recent days and have also carried out attacks targeting Saudi energy infrastructure.