Reuters news agency reported, citing three Yemeni government officials, that the Houthis have taken control of Makha port.
The Houthis are trying to seize key ports in the Red Sea.
The move could further strengthen their control over the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which is considered a very important passage for international shipping in the Red Sea.
Earlier, fierce clashes between Saudi-backed forces and the Houthis in Yemen had raised fears of further escalation of the war.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has also carried out airstrikes in various areas of Yemen in response to attacks on its facilities.
A state of emergency has been imposed in the southwestern city of Khamis Mushait following the escalation of tensions.
Reuters news agency reported, citing three Yemeni government officials, that the Houthis had taken control of the port of Makha on Thursday.
Makha is located in the western part of Yemen’s Taiz province. It is located about 65 to 75 kilometers north of the Bab al-Mandab Strait and about 100 kilometers west of the city of Taiz.
According to the Yemeni Ministry of Transport, Makha is only about six kilometers from the international shipping lane, which connects the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea with the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
The Houthis also carried out a major attack on Makha last month (August 10), killing eight Yemeni soldiers and wounding more than 40 people.
After that attack, the Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Saree, said that ‘the attack targeted the weapons warehouses of the Saudi forces in Makha.’ However, the Yemeni army said that ‘the attacks were carried out on residential areas, while according to the Yemeni Ministry of Transport, civilian and economic facilities inside the port were also damaged.’
It should be remembered that the Houthis are trying to seize control of important ports in the Red Sea.
And the move to take control of Makha port could further strengthen the Houthis’ control over the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
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