At least seven people were killed and 30 others wounded on Monday when Houthi forces launched an attack on the Red Sea port city of Mocha, targeting civilian infrastructure alongside Yemeni armed forces, the Yemeni military said.
In an early Monday statement, the military said four members of the armed forces and three civilians had died in the strikes, with dozens more injured, reports Reuters.
Yemeni air defences intercepted and shot down 11 Houthi drones involved in the assault, according to the military, though a number of missiles and drones evidently got through, hitting their targets in the port city.
The Yemeni military said residential neighbourhoods in Mocha were also struck during the attack. Footage broadcast by Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV showed the launch of several ballistic missiles and drones as part of the operation.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a post on Telegram that the attack had been aimed at Saudi troop concentrations and weapons depots in the area, though the Yemeni military’s account pointed to broader damage affecting both military and civilian sites in Mocha.
The strike adds to a string of Houthi attacks on Yemeni government-held territory and Saudi-linked positions along the Red Sea coast, as the rebel movement continues to exchange fire with Yemeni government forces and their allies.
Mocha, a historic port on Yemen’s western coast, has previously seen fighting between the two sides as they vie for control of strategic territory along the Red Sea, a route of significant importance to international shipping.
Neither the exact targets nor the full extent of the damage in Monday’s attack could be independently verified. The Yemeni military did not immediately provide further details on the condition of the wounded or on any additional damage caused by the strikes.
