Houthi attacks on Yemen’s al-Makha port cause several casualties

August 12 ------ Iran-backed Houthi forces launched successive missile and drone attacks on the government-held Red Sea port city of al-Makha (Mocha) on August 9 and 10, killing at least 18 people across two waves of strikes and damaging port infrastructure, commercial facilities and supplies.

In the August 10 attack, Yemeni government forces said seven people, including four military personnel and three civilians, were killed and up to 30 others wounded. Air defenses reportedly intercepted 11 drones, while two ballistic missiles fell into the sea. The attacks targeted military positions as well as civilian facilities, homes and electricity-generating infrastructure.

The August 9 strikes killed at least 11 people, including eight military personnel and three civilians, and wounded 32 others, according to Yemeni sources. The attacks caused significant damage at al-Makha port, including to buildings, piers, commercial goods and food supplies. Government forces also reported intercepting an explosive unmanned boat approaching the port.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group targeted Saudi-backed forces, military equipment and warehouses in the area. The Houthis also claimed a separate August 9 drone attack on an Aramco facility in Jazan, Saudi Arabia, where the Saudi Energy Ministry reported a fire but no casualties. The group said the strike was in response to alleged Saudi drone incursions into northern Yemen.

Al-Makha is a key government-held port on the Red Sea and has been developed as an alternative for shipping to Houthi-controlled Hodeidah.

The renewed attacks, including strikes near sites around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, have raised further concerns over maritime security and the potential escalation of Yemen’s conflict following the apparent breakdown of the 2022 truce.

Source: safety4sea.com