At least 44 people have died and numerous others were injured following intense fighting between Yemeni government forces and Houthi fighters. As the confrontations took place in the southern province of Lahj in the vicinity of the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait on Monday, the area was identified as one of the conflict’s hotspots.

The fighting began early on Monday when the Houthis attacked government-controlled mountainous areas, according to military officials from both sides. The area of rugged terrain in Al-Madaribah wa Ras Al-Arah is an important point of observation for the approaches to the Bab al-Mandab, an important maritime choke point monitored by bodies such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

The Houthis gained the initial ground with several positions after some heavy fighting, a government military official reported. But the government soon responded with reinforcements and a counter assault was launched and was successful. The official said the army was able to retake the lost ground with 28 Houthis killed and several others injured. Unidentified warplanes airdropped a series of strikes against Houthis’ gatherings and positions and military vehicles in the area in support of the ground troops.

However, a military source from the Houthis had said their forces had managed to kill 16 government soldiers in the Lahj offensive. The Houthis’ representative said that their forces continued to move forward and remained in their newly seized territory despite heavy aerial bombardments.

The violence has escalated in recent days, leading to a deteriorating situation in southwestern Yemen. There has been a significant escalation in the fighting throughout the area since the Houthis took control of the important Red Sea port city of Mocha and Mayyun Island this past month. The government forces’ spokesman, Majid al-Nuzaili, said the military launched 356 “precision-targeting” operations in 24 hours against Houthis’ reinforcements and capabilities on various fronts.

The violence is part of a prolonged conflict which has swept the country since the end of 2014, attracting the attention of world peacekeepers, such as the UN Office of the Special Envoy for Yemen. The conflict started with the Houthis’ takeover of the capital city of Sanaa and northern Yemen. The aggressive expansion led to intervention by a coalition of Saudi Arabia, its allies and other Gulf states in March 2015 to support the internationally recognised government of Yemen headed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).