Who are the Houthi rebels? What to know about the Yemeni militants attacking ships in the Red Sea

For weeks, Houthi rebels in Yemen have launched drone and rocket attacks targeting ships in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a strategic passage that connects the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea. Below is a look at who the Houthis are, how they became such a formidable if unofficial military power, and why they are launching attacks on the vital trade route.

The Houthis are a Shiite Muslim sect with roots that date back centuries in Yemen. Members of the religion are a minority in Yemen, which is predominantly Sunni Muslim, but they are a significant one, numbering in the hundreds of thousands and making up as much as a third of the overall population.