SANAA, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group said Saturday that international shipping through the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait remained near normal even as intense ground fighting raged along its shores.

In a statement released through Houthi-run al-Masirah TV, the group said 73 international vessels, including container ships and other commercial vessels, crossed the strait over the previous 48 hours.

It said 36 vessels transited the waterway on Thursday and 37 on Friday, equivalent to 98.6 percent of the average daily traffic recorded before the Houthis imposed a ban on Saudi vessels on July 20.

The group noted that international navigation remained "free, safe and smooth," while stressing that Saudi vessels remained excluded.

Houthi forces on Friday consolidated control over Yemen's western coast and key areas around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, following their capture of the strategic Red Sea port city of Mocha a day earlier.

Bab al-Mandab connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and serves as a critical gateway for trade and energy shipments between Asia and Europe.

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