Yemen’s Houthis launch fresh ballistic missile, drone attacks on Mokha: Army

Tarek Chouiref and Gizem Nisa Demir

Yemen’s Houthi group carried out fresh ballistic missile and drone attacks on the city of Mokha late Sunday, hours after strikes on the city and its port killed seven people and wounded 30 others, according to the Yemeni military.

The Armed Forces Media Center said residential areas were targeted in the latest attacks while air defenses intercepted several drones.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the latest strikes.

Earlier Sunday, Houthi strikes hit Mokha port and nearby residential areas, killing four military personnel and three civilians and wounding 30 people, most of them civilians, according to Yemeni military spokesman Col. Majed al-Nuzayli.

The military said the strikes targeted civilian neighborhoods, homes, infrastructure, power generation facilities and other civilian sites as well as military positions. It described the attacks as a “clear violation of international humanitarian law.”

Government forces also intercepted and shot down 11 Houthi drones over the city involved in the attack, according to the Yemeni military.

Al-Nuzayli said most of the wounded were discharged after receiving treatment and accused the Houthis of continuing to target civilians, civilian facilities and infrastructure.

He said the Yemeni armed forces would respond to such attacks and work to prevent further Houthi strikes while protecting civilians.

The Houthis claimed responsibility for the earlier attack, with military spokesman Yahya Saree saying ballistic missiles and drones targeted Saudi military concentrations and weapons depots in the Mokha area.

The latest escalation follows a series of Houthi attacks on Yemeni government positions in recent days, raising concerns about a renewed escalation in the country’s conflict.

Mokha lies near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a strategic maritime chokepoint connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The port is controlled by Yemeni government forces.

The city and port are strategically important because of their proximity to one of the world’s key maritime shipping routes.