Yemen army vows 'decisive response' to Houthi port attack

The Yemeni army has pledged a "decisive and forceful response" following a Houthi missile attack on the Red Sea port of Mocha. The rebels launched six ballistic missiles at the vital civilian and economic facility on Friday night, which the army described as an attempt to impose a "suffocating siege" on Yemenis.

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The attack demonstrates what he described as the Houthis' continuous effort to impose a "suffocating siege" on Yemenis, by bombing civilian and economic infrastructure.

The attack resulted in the death of one port security agent, with two sailors reported missing. Colonel Majid al-Nuzaili, spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, emphasized that the assault on the port, crucial for trade and essential goods, "will not go unpunished." He vowed a "decisive and severe response, proportional to the magnitude of the threat and the crimes committed."

Conversely, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea claimed the missiles targeted military units and warships. Meanwhile, forces loyal to the internationally recognized Yemeni government reported repelling a Houthi offensive on Saturday morning, particularly on the main front west of Taiz province. Waddah al-Dubaish, spokesperson for the Yemeni Joint Forces, stated that 55 insurgents were killed or wounded in these clashes, with no breakdown of casualties provided.

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The attack "will not go unpunished" and will receive a "decisive and severe response, proportional to the magnitude of the threat and the crimes committed."

These recent actions escalate the conflict in this strategically important area of Yemen's western coast. Mocha, controlled by government-aligned forces, is situated near the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a key maritime chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. The Houthi rebels, who control the capital Sanaa and much of the north and west, have largely avoided a return to the nationwide combat levels seen before the UN-brokered truce in 2022, but have continued to escalate conflict on various fronts.

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The missiles targeted concentrations of military units and warships.