A significant Houthi attack on the western Yemeni port of Mokha has left at least eleven people dead and approximately 35 others wounded. The assault, which occurred on Sunday, involved shelling directed at the port and nearby residential neighborhoods within the city, located in Taiz province. According to a medical source cited by the government-run Saba news agency, the casualties included civilians and military personnel, with AFP reporting that three civilians and eight military members of the internationally recognized government were among the fatalities. Government sources confirmed that port employees were also wounded during the strikes on the facility and worker housing areas.
Military responses were immediate as Yemeni air defenses intercepted incoming Houthi drones over the city. Additionally, government forces successfully thwarted a separate attempt by the Houthi group to strike the port's pier using a booby-trapped boat. Fayyad Alnoman, the Deputy Information Minister, stated that the attack caused extensive damage to port infrastructure, the pier, commercial goods, and essential food supplies.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for the operation, describing it as a large-scale military strike targeting what he labeled as Saudi military concentrations and weapons depots in the Mokha vicinity. Saree asserted that the use of ballistic missiles and drones resulted in significant damage to military equipment and caused dozens of casualties.
In the aftermath, the Yemeni army launched retaliatory strikes against Houthi positions, including the Al-Mahroor area northwest of Taiz city. Artillery units further targeted Houthi gatherings on the Hameer front in Maqbanah and the Al Aqrud front in the Sabir al-Masrah district. Government forces also engaged in strikes on Al-Madarij hill and reported ongoing clashes across several fronts in the province. Mokha remains a critical strategic location near the Bab al Mandeb Strait, a vital maritime chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, and is currently under the control of government forces. The attack marks a period of intensified fighting, breaking a relative lull that had been in place since April 2022 following nearly 12 years of conflict.
