ERBIL () — Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis took control on Friday of Mayyun Island, also known as Perim, a strategically located island in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, completing their takeover of the area, according to a local government official and eyewitnesses cited by AFP.
“Boats carrying armed Houthi fighters reached Mayyun Island after government forces withdrew from it yesterday,” the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The island sits in the middle of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, dividing the vital shipping passage into two lanes.
“The Houthis have completed their takeover of the Bab al-Mandab area and Mayyun Island, which is located in the middle of the strait,” the official said.
An eyewitness said armed men were deploying along the Bab al-Mandeb coast and driving around in military vehicles.
The takeover comes amid an offensive by the Houthis around the strategic strait, a major maritime artery linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and a key route for regional oil shipments.
Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed since the Iran-backed group launched its offensive in the Bab al-Mandeb area.
