In brief
On Wednesday, airstrikes targeted Yemen’s Houthi‑held port city of Mocha, according to Xinhua. The strike, described by Houthi‑run television as a salvo from Saudi warplanes, caused powerful explosions but left no immediate casualties. Saudi officials issued no comment, while the Houthis claimed the city was captured in September amid an ongoing conflict that began in 2014.
On Wednesday, airstrikes struck the Houthi‑held Red Sea port city of Mocha in Yemen’s southwestern Taiz province, with no immediate casualties reported, Xinhua reported. The strike was confirmed by Houthi‑run al‑Masirah TV, which said it was carried out by “Saudi aggression warplanes” and targeted four sites, including the headquarters of a local security command.
Local residents told Xinhua that powerful explosions were heard across Mocha as warplanes struck areas where Houthi forces had recently deployed personnel and military equipment. The Houthis did not report any damage to civilian infrastructure, and there were no immediate injuries reported, according to their media outlet.
The Houthi movement seized Mocha on September 10 during its rapid southward advance along Yemen’s western Red Sea coast. Since then it has captured the Bab al‑Mandab area and Mayyun Island, strategically located in the strait that links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
Saudi authorities issued no comment on the reported strikes, and the Saudi‑led coalition has not provided any statements regarding its operations in the region.
Yemen has been embroiled in a conflict since late 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and much of northern Yemen. A Saudi‑led coalition intervened in 2015 to support the internationally recognized Yemeni government, leading to ongoing hostilities in regions such as Mocha.
At the time of the strikes, Houthi‑run television described the air attacks as part of a broader campaign of “Saudi aggression.” The Houthis have used strong language to frame the conflict in terms of aggression by external forces, while the coalition has maintained that it is conducting operations to liberate Yemeni territory.
The most recent airstrikes on Mocha underscore the continued volatility of Yemen’s coastal towns, where both sides have claimed to carry out operations without providing independent verification of their impact. Xinhua’s report, aside from noting the lack of casualties, does not detail the extent of any structural damage, leaving open questions about the overall casualties and material losses in the port city.
