Houthis fire 2 hypersonic ballistic missiles toward Mocha, Red Sea: Yemeni army

Mohammed Sameai and Serdar Dincel

The Yemeni army said Monday that it had detected the launch of two hypersonic ballistic missiles by the Houthi group toward the southwestern city of Mocha and the Red Sea.

The missiles were launched from the former headquarters of the 170th Air Defense Brigade on Mount Oman, east of Taiz, an area under Houthi control, the army’s Taiz Military Axis said on the US social media company Facebook.

It did not provide any information on casualties or material damage resulting from the missile launches.

The Houthis did not immediately comment on the statement.

The escalation came a day after the National Resistance Forces, aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government, said the Houthis had targeted Mocha with seven drones on Sunday.

Yemen had been under a relative lull since April 2022 after nearly 12 years of war between government forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, and the Iranian-backed Houthis, who seized control of the capital, Sanaa, and large parts of the country in 2014.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Since late 2023, after the Gaza war began, the Houthis have become increasingly involved in regional hostilities, launching attacks on Israel and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, while recent renewed fighting has raised fears of a return to full-scale conflict in Yemen.