Aden, Yemen – The Houthi group announced on Sunday that it had launched a military attack on military gatherings and weapons depots it claimed were supported by Saudi Arabia in the Mocha area of southwestern Yemen. The attack used ballistic missiles and drones. The group’s military spokesman, Yahya Saree, said the attack targeted what he described as “Saudi enemy troop concentrations and weapons depots” in the Mocha region. He added, claiming the attack achieved direct hits and resulted in “widespread destruction” of equipment and weapons.
Saree added that the attack, according to the group’s account, resulted in the deaths and injuries of dozens of people, including Saudis. However, he did not provide details on the number of casualties or the nature of the sites targeted. According to the Houthi spokesman, the group used a large number of ballistic missiles and drones in the attack. He described the operation as large-scale.
These statements come amid a military escalation on several Yemeni fronts in recent days. This escalation coincides with renewed tensions in the Red Sea and along the western coast. Yemeni sources, reporting on developments related to Mocha, stated that naval forces in the area had previously announced the thwarting of an attempt to target an oil tanker in the Red Sea using an explosives-laden boat. As a result, the forces raised their level of readiness in the region.
The Houthi announcement comes after an escalation of fighting on several Yemeni fronts, including Marib and Hadramawt. In these areas, Yemeni government forces announced operations against Houthi positions in response to previous attacks. Yemeni government sources stated that the recent Houthi attacks involved the use of ballistic missiles and drones. Meanwhile, the United Nations warned of the risk of Yemen returning to a large-scale conflict and undermining the de-escalation process.
