Houthis Strike Yemen’s Mokha Port With Missiles and Drones, Killing at Least 7

MOKHA, Yemen /New Delhi: The Houthi rebel group launched missiles and drones at Yemen’s government-held port city of Mokha on Sunday, Aug. 9, killing at least seven people and injuring dozens, according to Yemeni sources, in a fresh escalation of the country’s long-running conflict.

Mokha, also known as Al-Mukha or Mocha, is located on Yemen’s western Red Sea coast near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a major maritime chokepoint connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group carried out a large-scale operation against Saudi-backed forces in the area. He said the strikes targeted military gatherings and weapons depots and caused extensive damage. Those claims could not be independently verified.

Yemeni sources said explosions struck areas around the port, including residential locations and facilities used by port workers. The attack damaged parts of the port and nearby infrastructure, according to reports from the area.

Casualty figures remain unclear. Yemeni sources initially reported seven deaths and 35 injuries. Other reports citing medical sources later put the death toll at 11, including military personnel and civilians, with 32 people wounded. The figures could change as authorities assess the damage and recover victims.

The Houthis, formally known as Ansar Allah, control large parts of northern and western Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa. The group seized Sanaa in 2014, triggering a broader civil war and a Saudi-led military intervention the following year in support of Yemen’s internationally recognized government.

A United Nations-backed truce in 2022 sharply reduced large-scale fighting but did not end the conflict. The Houthis and government-aligned forces have continued to hold opposing positions across Yemen, while tensions have periodically escalated.

Mokha has strategic importance because of its location near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The waterway is one of the world’s major maritime chokepoints, linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and providing a route toward the Suez Canal.

The port is controlled by forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government. An attack on the area therefore carries significance beyond the immediate battlefield, particularly because of its proximity to one of the world’s most important shipping routes.

The latest attack also comes amid broader Houthi activity around the Red Sea and Saudi Arabia. The group has claimed attacks on targets in Saudi territory, while shipping in the wider Red Sea region remains vulnerable to renewed disruption.

For now, there is no indication that the Mokha attack alone has disrupted commercial shipping through Bab el-Mandeb. But a sustained expansion of fighting along Yemen’s western coast could increase risks for vessels using the Red Sea route.

The immediate impact is being felt in Mokha, where civilians and port workers were among those reported killed or injured. The longer-term concern is whether the latest escalation develops into a wider confrontation that threatens Yemen’s fragile security situation and regional maritime traffic.

The situation remains fluid, and casualty figures, damage assessments and claims by the parties involved may change as more information becomes available.