At least seven civilians died and another 35 were injured this Sunday following an attack by Houthi rebels on the port of Mocha, on the western coast of Yemen, amid a new escalation that threatens to reactivate the war in the country.
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According to sources reported to Yemeni public television, the attacks hit both the strategic port and residential areas of the city of Mocha, located in the Taiz province and near the Bab al-Mandeb strait, one of the main maritime routes connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
Military sources cited by EFE indicated that the Houthis also launched missiles and drones against targets in the city of Jawja, while government forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, responded to the offensive.
The military spokesman for the Houthis, Yahya Sarea, confirmed the operation and assured that it was aimed at concentrations of Saudi forces and weapons depots in the Mocha area.
“The attack was precise and caused widespread destruction of equipment and weaponry, as well as the death and injury of dozens of people, including Saudis, through the use of numerous ballistic missiles and drones”, said the Houthi spokesman.
The offensive comes at a time of growing tension between the Houthis, Yemen’s government forces, and Saudi Arabia, which since 2015 has led a military coalition in support of the internationally recognized government.
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The rebels, supported by Iran, accuse Riyadh of deploying “mercenaries” on various fronts and hold the country responsible for the attack recorded in mid-July against the international airport of Sana’a, the Yemeni capital that remains under Houthi control.
Since then, the rebels have intensified their operations with attacks against Saudi Arabia and government forces’ positions, especially in strategic provinces such as Marib and Hadramaut, where clashes have left dozens dead.
The tension has also spread to the Red Sea, where the Houthis have imposed a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia.
The increase in hostilities led the United Nations special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, to warn on Friday that the conflict faces its greatest risk of reactivation since 2022.
This 2026, the government and the rebels agreed on a temporary truce which, despite formally expiring, allowed a significant reduction in the clashes of a war that began in 2014.
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