Agence France-Presse reported on Friday that the Houthis had taken control of the Bab al-Mandab region, after their deployment on the strategic island of Mayon, located in the middle of the strait. Last week, the Houthis, who control large areas of northern Yemen, launched a large-scale attack against government forces, achieving a series of field gains in battles that left hundreds dead. The agency quoted a Yemeni government official as saying: “The Houthis have completed their control over the Bab al-Mandab region and Mayon Island, located in the middle of the strait.” He explained that "boats carrying Houthi militants arrived on Mayon Island after government forces withdrew from it yesterday." Witnesses said that Houthi militants “are deployed on the shore of Bab al-Mandab, and they have military vehicles moving around.” The local official said that the numbers of militants on the island are “not large,” noting that they are likely interested in “positioning on the hills overlooking the strait.”