Port
MOCHA, Yemen — Sawt El-Shaab | Special Report
At least 11 people were killed and 32 others wounded on Sunday, August 9, in a series of missile and drone attacks launched by the Houthi movement against the Red Sea port city of Mocha, its port and surrounding areas, in one of the most significant escalations along Yemen’s western coast in recent weeks.
A medical source in Mocha told Agence France-Presse that those killed included three civilians and eight military personnel, while 32 people were wounded, including six civilians. The source said all of the civilian casualties resulted from strikes on Mocha’s port.
The toll was higher than an earlier preliminary figure released by the National Resistance Forces, which control Mocha and surrounding areas.
The forces initially reported seven people killed and 15 wounded, highlighting the continuing assessment of casualties and damage following the attacks.
Port Infrastructure Hit
Government military sources said the Houthis launched several waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Mocha and positions along Yemen’s western coast.
Local sources reported damage to parts of Mocha port, including infrastructure, berths, economic facilities and accommodation used by port employees. Commercial cargo and food supplies inside the port were also reportedly damaged.
Abdulmalik al-Sharabi, director of Mocha port, said the facility had come under extensive attack, damaging economic facilities, employee housing and customs infrastructure, while authorities continued to assess the extent of the damage.
Mocha port has gained increasing importance as a commercial gateway on Yemen’s western coast, particularly following efforts to rehabilitate and expand its capacity amid continuing disruption at Hodeidah port, which remains under Houthi control.
Video footage circulating online showed thick columns of smoke rising from areas around the port following the attacks.
Drones Intercepted, Solar Power Facility Targeted
The National Resistance Forces said their air defenses shot down 11 Houthi drones involved in the attacks and thwarted an attempt to strike Mocha’s solar power facility, which supplies electricity to the city.
The reports indicate that the attack extended beyond military positions to infrastructure with direct civilian and economic significance.
Explosive Boat Targeted Commercial Pier
Government forces later said that the Coast Guard destroyed an unmanned explosive-laden boat that was attempting to reach the commercial pier at Mocha port.
The reported use of an explosive boat added a maritime dimension to the missile and drone assault, raising further concerns over security in the waters near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The incident came two days after Yemeni authorities said they had intercepted a separate attempt to attack an oil tanker off Mocha using an explosive-laden boat.
Houthis Claim Responsibility
The Houthis claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attacks.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group had carried out what he described as a “large-scale military operation,” using ballistic missiles and drones against what he called Saudi troop concentrations and weapons depots in the Mocha area.
Saree claimed that the attacks destroyed military equipment and caused casualties, including among Saudi personnel. A Yemeni government military source told AFP that Saudi personnel were present at some of the targeted sites but said there were no confirmed Saudi casualties.
The Houthis said the operation was carried out in response to what they described as an ongoing Saudi military buildup and movements along Yemen’s western coast and in Taiz province.
Attacks Reported Beyond Mocha
Government military sources said the Houthi attacks also targeted anti-Houthi forces outside Mocha, as well as positions on islands near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Local reports also indicated that attacks extended toward the Khokha district in southern Hodeidah province.
Al-Jumhuriya television, affiliated with the National Resistance Forces, reported that Hodeidah Governor Hassan Taher survived an attempted attack after a Houthi ballistic missile struck a location identified as his residence in Khokha. The report could not be independently verified at the time of publication.
Yemeni Government Condemns Attack
Yemen’s internationally recognized government condemned the attack on Mocha port, describing it as an assault on a civilian and economic facility and warning of its potential impact on commercial supply routes.
The government said it would take measures to protect ports, critical infrastructure and commercial supply lines.
Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi said during a meeting in Riyadh with newly appointed U.S. Charg� d’Affaires to Yemen Neil Hooper that the attack on Mocha demonstrated what he described as a “systematic war” against Yemen’s resources and critical infrastructure.
Al-Alimi called on the United States and the international community to take measures beyond containing Houthi attacks and to address the group’s military capabilities.
Houthi Attack on Saudi Energy Facility
The Mocha assault coincided with a Houthi announcement claiming that the group had targeted an Aramco facility in Saudi Arabia’s Jazan region with a drone.
Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry said a fire broke out at a facility belonging to the refinery but was brought under control, with no casualties reported. The ministry did not specify the cause of the fire.
The simultaneous incidents point to a broader regional escalation as Houthi attacks increasingly affect both military and critical economic infrastructure.
Mocha’s Strategic Location
Mocha lies near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s most strategically important maritime chokepoints linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
The latest escalation around Mocha is likely to heighten concerns over maritime security and commercial supply chains in the Red Sea, particularly amid continuing regional tensions and renewed threats to shipping and coastal infrastructure.
While the Houthis have claimed responsibility for the attacks and provided their own account of the targets and results, the full extent of the damage remains subject to further verification. The casualty figures are also expected to be updated as local authorities complete their assessment.