Houthis say they attacked Saudi vessels off Yemen’s Mocha

Yemen’s Houthi group claimed responsibility on Monday for attacking a Saudi military ship and four escort vessels in the Red Sea using missiles, according to the group’s military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, on Telegram. The attack occurred off Yemen’s Mocha, a Red Sea port situated near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical chokepoint linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and a vital international shipping route. However, Saudi authorities have not yet confirmed the incident.

On Tuesday, the Houthis targeted a ship in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, located at the southern entrance to the Red Sea, as reported by news agency Saba. According to Yemen’s transport ministry, the attack resulted in the deaths of four crew members. The Houthi group had imposed a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea in July, citing the Saudi military’s siege on Yemen, a claim that Riyadh has rejected.

Two sources within Yemen’s internationally recognized government informed Reuters on Monday that the Houthis had launched a missile attack on a ship in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait employing six missiles. The sources added that the ship had been out of service for over a year for maintenance and was presumed to be empty at the time of the assault.