14 killed in Houthi attacks on Yemen's Mocha port

A significant escalation in the Yemen conflict has occurred with large-scale attacks by Houthi rebels targeting the government-controlled port of Mocha on the Red Sea. At least 14 people, including 10 civilians, lost their lives, and approximately 50 others were injured in the Sunday assaults, according to various sources.

The National Resistance Forces, aligned with the internationally recognized Yemeni government, reported that four soldiers and three civilians were killed, with 15 additional injuries. State broadcaster YemenTV had previously reported seven civilian deaths and 35 wounded. The Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, have been escalating their offensive against government troops, raising fears of a renewed full-scale war.

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The attack was precise, thanks to God, and caused widespread destruction of equipment and weaponry, in addition to the death and injury of dozens of people, including Saudis, through the use of numerous ballistic missiles and drones.

Government forces stated that their air defenses intercepted 11 drones launched at Mocha. The Coast Guard also successfully destroyed an unmanned vessel laden with explosives that was heading towards the commercial port's dock. The Houthis, however, claimed responsibility for what their military spokesperson, Yahya Sarea, described as a "large-scale and high-precision military operation" targeting troop concentrations and weapons depots in the Mocha area, asserting widespread destruction of equipment and casualties among enemy forces.

Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council Chairman, Rashad al-Alimi, who resides in Riyadh, condemned the attacks, labeling them a "systematic war" against the country's vital economic infrastructure. He characterized the assault on Mocha, a strategically important port near the Bab al-Mandeb strait, as a "new escalation" and urged the United States and the international community to increase support for the Yemeni government. Al-Alimi called for a shift in international policy from merely containing the Houthi threat to actively addressing its "sources and tools," including their military capabilities and financing.

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The attack represents 'a new escalation directed against one of the most important ports for the Yemeni people.'