At least 44 people were killed after heavy fighting erupted between Ansarullah forces and Saudi-backed Yemeni forces near the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, according to military sources from both sides.

The clashes broke out on Monday in the Al-Madaribah and Ras al-Arah district of Lahij province, an area overlooking routes leading to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints.

According to military sources cited by Xinhua, dozens of fighters were also wounded during the hours-long confrontation.

Both sides report heavy losses

A military official affiliated with the Saudi-backed Yemeni administration, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the fighting began after Ansarullah launched an early morning assault on mountain positions controlled by government-aligned forces.

The official claimed that Ansarullah fighters initially captured several positions before government forces reinforced the area and launched a counteroffensive.

He said 28 Ansarullah fighters were killed during the clashes and added that warplanes carried out several airstrikes targeting Ansarullah positions, gathering points and military vehicles in support of ground forces. The official did not identify the aircraft involved.

Meanwhile, an Ansarullah military source told Xinhua that 16 Saudi-backed Yemeni soldiers were killed and several others were wounded during the fighting.

The Ansarullah source also claimed that its forces maintained control of positions captured earlier in the day despite what it described as intensive airstrikes.

The casualty figures and battlefield claims made by both sides could not be independently verified.

Fighting intensifies around strategic waterway

The latest clashes come amid renewed fighting in southwestern Yemen following Ansarullah's reported advances earlier this month around the strategic port city of Mocha and Mayyun Island in the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Bab al-Mandab links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and serves as one of the world's busiest maritime trade routes, making the surrounding area strategically important for both regional and international shipping.

Yemen has remained embroiled in conflict since Ansarullah took control of the capital, Sana'a, and large parts of northern Yemen in late 2014, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention in support of the internationally recognized government in March 2015.(ILKHA)