File image.
The Houthis (Ansar Allah) renewed strikes on the port of Mokha and its surroundings in western Yemen on August 14, using drones, boats and missiles.
A source from Yemeni government forces told Al Arabiya that the Houthis launched 44 one-way attack drones toward the port, claiming that air defenses managed to shoot down 15 of them.
The source also said three of six attacks by explosive-laden drone boats targeting the port were repelled, adding that some of these attacks tried to target an oil tanker near the Bab al-Mandab Strait. According to the source, the confrontations resulted in the deaths of eight Houthi fighters.
The escalation did not stop at attacks with drones and boats, as the Houthis fired ballistic missiles at Mokha, according to Al Arabiya.
The strikes set the port ablaze, with reports suggesting two vessels moored there sustained damage. AFP also reported that six people, including two security personnel, were killed.
Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said in a statement that the strikes hit “Saudi enemy troop buildups and weapons” and “warships belonging to its proxies and mercenaries.”
For its part, Yemeni government forces, which are backed by Saudi Arabia, reported carrying out dozens of drone strikes on Houthi positions on the western coast, coinciding with continued artillery shelling on positions of the group on the fronts west of the province of Taiz.
Separately, the Houthis announced in a statement to the Saba news agency that they had carried out a drone attack against an oil facility belonging to Aramco in the southern Saudi province of Najran. A day earlier, the group said a similar strike targeted an Aramco refinery in the nearby province of Jazan. The kingdom has so far not commented on the group’s claims.
The Houthis announced a “maritime blockade” against Saudi Arabia last month, and since then, the group has carried out a series of attacks targeting Saudi airports, oil facilities, Yemeni government forces, and tankers in the Red Sea.
According to recent reports, Saudi Arabia is preparing an offensive against the Houthis, including a potential ground operation, in cooperation with the Yemeni government. At the same time, the kingdom is said to be engaged diplomatically through Oman in an attempt to de-escalate.
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go houthis! 🫡