Yemen’s Houthi rebels took control on Thursday of the strategic Red Sea port city of Mocha, advancing further toward the Bab al-Mandeb Strait a week after launching one of their largest offensives against territory held by Yemen's internationally recognized government along the country’s western coast in years.

What happened: Four Yemeni government military sources told Reuters Thursday that Mocha in the southwestern province of Taiz has fallen into the hands of the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels after Saudi-aligned government forces retreated south to the town of Dhubab.

Several local reports said Houthi fighters entered the city from multiple directions early Thursday morning, as government forces withdrew from their positions. Videos circulating online showed Houthi military vehicles inside Mocha.

The commander of the National Resistance Forces allied with the government, Maj. Gen. Tareq Saleh, said on Thursday that government forces and their allies had organized a strategic retreat south of Mocha to regroup in a secure location and establish a new command center following breaches by Houthis across various fronts.