Houthis renew missile and drone attacks on Yemen’s port of al-Makha
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- Yemen's Houthis launched a fresh barrage of missiles and drones at al-Makha (Mocha) on Sunday evening, less than 24 hours after an earlier wave struck the Red Sea port city and its commercial facilities.
- Earlier Sunday strikes killed at least 11 people — eight military personnel and three civilians — and wounded 32 others, with extensive damage reported to port infrastructure, commercial buildings, and food supplies.
- Yemeni government forces said air defenses intercepted six drones during the renewed assault while two ballistic missiles fell into the sea without hitting targets; forces also destroyed an unmanned explosive boat approaching the port.
- Houthi military spokesman Yahma Saree said the operation targeted Saudi troop concentrations and weapon depots in the area, while political council member Hizam al-Assad attributed continuing explosions and smoke columns to large quantities of weapons stored at the port.
- The Houthis framed the attack as retaliation for an alleged continued Saudi military buildup, including reinforcement of allied forces with weapons and equipment along Yemen's western coast and in Taiz province.
- The escalation extended to al-Khokha district south of Hodeidah, where the government-appointed governor al-Hassan Taher survived an assassination attempt after a Houthi ballistic missile struck his residence.
Why it matters: The two-day combined-arms assault — missiles, drones, and an explosive boat — targeted both a commercial port and broader Saudi-aligned military positions on Yemen's western coast, producing at least 11 dead and infrastructure damage that directly raises operational costs for government forces and the Saudi-led coalition while demonstrating the Houthis' ability to sustain coordinated strikes against defended targets.
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