SANAA, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group claimed Sunday it launched a large-scale attack on Saudi-backed forces in the strategic Red Sea port city of Mocha in western Yemen's Taiz Province.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement on social media platform X that the operation targeted troop gatherings and weapons depots in the Mocha area with "a large number of ballistic missiles and drones."
Shortly before the announcement, an anonymous local government official told Xinhua that the Houthis fired several missiles at the port, targeting what he described as "civilian areas" inside the facility.
Residents in Mocha told Xinhua that several explosions were heard from the direction of the port, with smoke rising over the area following the strikes.
Mocha, in western Yemen's Taiz province, is located along the Red Sea coast near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a strategically important waterway connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and a major route for international shipping.
The port and surrounding coastal areas are controlled by forces aligned with Yemen's internationally recognized government.
The attack came amid a sharp escalation of tensions in Yemen in recent days, with the Houthis launching missile and drone attacks against government forces in the eastern provinces of Marib and Hadramout. ■
