A Yemeni military source accused the Houthi group of laying naval mines in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and digging trenches in mountains overlooking the strategic waterway, as concerns grow over the safety of navigation in the strait and the Red Sea. The source said the group mined the waters in the area while digging the trenches.
UN session examines risks in Bab el-Mandeb
International concerns over the safety of navigation increased after the group issued threats, coinciding with its advances in recent days and its seizure of Perim Island at the entrance to the Red Sea. Meanwhile, government forces announced that they were redeploying south of the city of Mokha.
Escalating fighting drives up oil prices
Attacks on Yemen’s west coast overlooking Bab el-Mandeb, as well as on strategic islands in and around the strait, pushed oil prices above $100 a barrel. Clashes between the Houthis and Yemeni forces intensified again in July, coinciding with the war between the United States and Iran. Some of the fighting has focused on the west coast and the strait area.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees said on Tuesday that more than 100,000 people had been displaced inside Yemen since fighting between the Houthis and government forces resumed.
It added that thousands more had headed to Djibouti seeking refuge after fighting rapidly escalated along the west coast.
