Iran-backed Houthi rebels killed at least seven people and injured more than a dozen others in an attack Sunday on the crucial Red Sea port of Mokha, according to Yemen’s National Resistance Forces.
The group, which is allied with Yemen’s internationally recognized government, said four troops and three civilians were killed, while 15 civilians were injured. Fayed al-Noman, an official with Yemen’s information ministry, said the Houthis fired missiles and drones at Mokha, severely damaging buildings, a pier, and commercial goods and food supplies stored at the facility.
The Houthis later claimed responsibility, stating they launched “a large number of ballistic missiles and drones” targeting military forces and warehouses in the area.
Mokha is one of the main ports controlled by Yemen’s internationally recognized government and has been renovated in recent years to handle shipping that avoids Houthi-held ports in Hodeida.
The deadly attack came as the Houthis also claimed a drone strike on a Saudi Aramco refinery in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the attack was in response to Saudi drones allegedly breaching Yemeni airspace over Hajjah and Saada.
Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry reported a fire at the Aramco facility early Sunday but did not identify its cause. The ministry said the fire was extinguished and there were no casualties.
