ADEN, Yemen/SANAA — More than 40 people have been killed in heavy clashes near Yemen's strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait over the past 24 hours, military officials from both sides said Thursday, as government forces and the Houthi group fought for control of rugged high ground overlooking the vital shipping route.

Fighting has raged fiercely since Wednesday across the Kahbub mountain area and surrounding heights in the southern province of Lahj, where Houthi fighters launched a renewed push against government defensive positions, a Yemeni government military official told Xinhua.

"The fighting has been continuous since last night," the official said on condition of anonymity. "They are trying to seize the heights, while our forces are fighting to hold their positions."

At least 19 government soldiers were killed and 15 others wounded, with Houthi missile attacks accounting for most of the casualties, the official said. The wounded were evacuated to a military hospital in the southern port city of Aden.

The ground battle has unfolded under intense airstrikes targeting Houthi forces and reinforcements moving towards the frontline, according to the official.

A Houthi military official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that "Saudi enemy warplanes" had carried out dozens of strikes on fighters, vehicles and positions while providing air cover for government forces on the ground.

At least 25 Houthi fighters were killed and several others wounded, he said, adding that repeated strikes had made it increasingly difficult to evacuate casualties from the mountainous battlefield.

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The battle remained fluid on Thursday, with several commanding heights changing hands during repeated attacks and counterattacks. Neither side had secured a decisive breakthrough, according to the two officials.

Both sides have sent additional fighters, weapons and military vehicles into the area, raising the prospect of further heavy fighting for control of positions overlooking approaches to Bab al-Mandab.

The latest fighting follows major Houthi gains along Yemen's southwestern Red Sea coast earlier this month. The group captured the strategic port city of Mocha on Sept. 10 before advancing south toward Bab al-Mandab and taking Mayyun, or Perim Island, in the heart of the strait on Sept 11 after government forces withdrew.

Government forces have since tried to block further Houthi advances in Lahj, backed by intensified airstrikes. The battle centers on strategic heights overlooking Bab al-Mandab, a vital global shipping route linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.

Yemen's conflict erupted in late 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and much of northern Yemen, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government. 

Houthis claim 37 Saudi airstrikes on Yemen in 24 hrs

Yemen's Houthi group said on Thursday that Saudi Arabia's warplanes had carried out 37 airstrikes on two Yemeni provinces over the past 24 hours, causing civilian casualties, as fighting between the Houthis and Yemen's government forces continued to intensify.

In a statement on social media platform X, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said Saudi F-15 fighter jets carried out the strikes in the southwestern province of Taiz and the northwestern province of Hajjah.

"Over the past 24 hours, Saudi warplanes carried out 37 airstrikes using F-15 aircraft that took off from Khamis Mushait Air Base," Sarea said, adding the strikes had killed and wounded civilians.

Sarea did not provide a detailed casualty toll.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities.

Houthi leader denies targeting Mecca amid escalating tensions with Saudi Arabia

Yemen's Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi on Thursday rejected accusations that his group had attempted to attack the Islamic holy city of Mecca, calling the allegation "fabrication and misinformation" amid escalating hostilities with Saudi Arabia.

In a televised address carried by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV, al-Houthi said claims that Houthi forces had targeted Mecca were a "lie," arguing that the accusation was being used to mobilize broader support for what he described as "military measures imposed on Yemen."

Al-Houthi also accused Saudi Arabia of failing to advance a political settlement during the period of relative calm preceding the latest escalation.

Instead, he said, restrictions affecting Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen had been tightened, with limitations on airport operations and imports remaining among the key unresolved issues.

Al-Houthi called on supporters across Yemen to hold mass demonstrations on Friday to reject what he described as Saudi "fabrications and slander."