Yemen's Houthis took over on Friday a Red Sea island in the middle of the Bab al-Mandeb shipping lane, completing their push to control the area, a local government official and eyewitnesses told AFP.
"Boats carrying armed Houthi fighters reached Mayyun Island after government forces withdrew from it yesterday," the official said, referring to an island also known as Perim that divides the strait into 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," he added, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity.
An eyewitness said gunmen were "deploying along the Bab al-Mandab shore and are driving around in military vehicles".
Hundreds of people have died since the Iran-backed Houthis launched last week an offensive against Riyadh-backed Yemeni government forces around Bab al-Mandab.The waterway has gained importance as a transit route since the start of the wider Middle East war, which saw Iran blockade the Strait of Hormuz.
The local government official said the number of fighters on Mayyun is "not large", adding that they would probably opt to deploy on hills overlooking Bab al-Mandab.
The waterway, a vital artery for Saudi oil exports, includes four strategic islands: Zuqar, seized by the Houthis on Thursday, Mayyun, and the two Hanish islands.
Government military sources told AFP that the Houthis have besieged government troops on the Hanish islands.
They said they were unsure about the status of their troops, which number more than 2,000, but believe the Houthis have ordered them to surrender.A senior military official told AFP that the besieged forces have appealed to authorities for "rescue, food and water, and the lifting of the siege, which would require air support".
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