Yemen’s Houthis say dozens killed, wounded in strikes on Marib and Mokha

Yemen’s Houthi group claimed Tuesday that missile and drone strikes targeting military sites in Marib in central Yemen and the coastal city of Mokha left dozens of people killed or injured.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group launched a large number of ballistic missiles and drones at military deployments, weapons depots and command centers in Mokha and the Tadawin military camp in Marib governorate.

In a statement carried by the Houthi-run Saba news agency, Saree said the targeted forces were linked to Saudi Arabia.

He also claimed the strikes hit their targets and left “dozens killed and injured,” including Saudis.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia, which maintains that it has no forces inside Yemen and says its role is limited to supporting forces aligned with the internationally recognized government and securing its borders.

Earlier Tuesday, Yemen’s National Resistance Forces, which are aligned with the internationally recognized government, said the Houthis had launched 10 missiles and four drones at sites along the country’s western coast since the morning.

The forces said their air defenses responded to the attacks and shot down an explosive-laden drone.

Yemen has been under a relative lull in fighting since April 2022 following nearly 12 years of war between government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition and the Iran-backed Houthi group, which seized the capital, Sanaa, and large parts of the country in 2014.

Since late 2023 following the start of Israel’s war on Gaza, the Houthis have increasingly become involved in regional hostilities, launching attacks on Israel and commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Recent renewed fighting has raised fears of a return to full-scale conflict in Yemen.