Houthi missile barrage hits Mocha port as fighting escalates in Yemen

Houthi missile and drone attacks have struck the Yemeni cities of Marib and Mocha port, causing civilian casualties and property damage, according to officials and media reports. The attacks occurred as fighting resumed in several Yemeni provinces following a period of relative peace since April 2022. The Houthi movement launched six ballistic missiles and four drones at residential neighborhoods in Marib, injuring at least four people and damaging homes and civilian infrastructure.

One strike hit a bakery in al-Sharika, wounding one person. The governorate of Marib called on the international community to condemn the attacks and document them as violations of international humanitarian law. The port of Mocha, located in southwestern Taiz province, was forced to halt commercial operations due to the attacks, leading to an estimated $16 million in damages.

Seven people were killed, including four security personnel and three port employees. The port's director, Abdulmalik al-Sharabi, stated that the attacks targeted vessels and equipment used for the port's expansion, damaging six wooden vessels and a dredger. The renewed violence has also spread to the southwestern province of Taiz, where Yemeni military sources reported the killing of three Houthi fighters and the wounding of several others, including field commanders, in drone strikes.

The conflict in Yemen, which began in September 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and other parts of the country, has resulted in a severe humanitarian and economic crisis.