The Houthi armed group is embedding explosive mines near the strategic port of Hudaydah in Yemen, in a bid to assault vessels travelling through Bab Al-Mandeb, Arab News reported.

Forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the Houthi armed group have riddled the Hudaydah port with mines, according to the site. The port is a strategic site for commercial and humanitarian cargo.

The Mab Al-Mandeb waterway is located between Yemen and Djibouti and is the only pathway to the Red Sea ports.

The Saudi-led coalition which entered the Yemen civil war in March 2015, has been planning an attack on the port to liberate it from Houthi control.  All of the Saudi-led coalition members, including the United Arab Emirates, have key interests in the port for trade reasons.

The UN Envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh, has voiced concerns over any impending attack on the Hudaydah port and the need to keep it stable to ensure humanitarian supplies are allowed into the country.

Source: memo