Yemeni military sources tell AFP that their forces were advancing against the Houthis in areas around the Bab al-Mandab strait but have not yet secured control of the waterway, after the government launched an operation to recapture lost territory.

The government last week announced a counter-offensive aimed at retaking all areas held by the Houthis, after the group seized Yemen’s entire western coastline in a lightning offensive.

The Houthis confirmed that government forces had attacked in the Bab al-Mandab area but they claimed to have repelled the assault.

Sources from the military of Yemen’s internationally recognised government also said Mayun Island in the heart of the strait remained in Houthi hands as fighting continued.

Clashes in western Yemen, specifically around the strait, had killed at least 63 people in the past 24 hours, military sources from both sides tell AFP. Thirty-five members of government forces had been killed, while 28 Houthis had died, the sources said.