Yemen: Houthi attack targets Al-Mukha port
In a new escalation in Yemen, the Iran-backed Houthi militia attacked the coastal city of Al-Mukha and its strategic civilian port in the Taiz governorate today with ballistic missiles, drones, and explosive-laden boats. This comes a day after UN Security Council members condemned the militia’s missile attacks on Saudi Arabia and commercial ships in the Red Sea, a move welcomed by Kuwait and several other countries.
Yemeni military sources and official media reported that the Houthi militia launched approximately 20 drone attacks on the port of Al-Mukha, which is under the control of the internationally recognized government. The attacks targeted civilian facilities and adjacent residential areas, resulting in the deaths of seven people and injuries to around 35 others, as well as severe damage to the port’s infrastructure. Assistant Undersecretary for Media at the Yemeni Ministry of Media, Fayadh Al-Nooman, stated that “the terrorist Houthi militias have shifted their battle to targeting the lives and livelihoods of Yemenis,” emphasizing that the commercial port adds to their extensive record of targeting civilian assets, economic facilities, and sources of income for Yemenis.
Meanwhile, the Houthi militias cut off internet access in the Al-Khokha and Huayd districts of Al-Hudaydah governorate, while deploying reinforcements, including tanks and military vehicles, to Shabab Mudhan in Bahr al-Mawani, adjacent to the Turbah front in Al-Dhale’ governorate, where the atmosphere reflects a return to war.
Following a warning by the UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, that Yemen faces the risk of returning to a “wide-scale conflict,” clashes intensified between government forces and the Houthi militia in several areas across the densely populated and displaced-inhabited governorates of Taiz, Al-Hudaydah, Hadhramaut, and Marib.
Amid the Houthi escalation on battlefronts in northern, eastern, southern, and western Yemen, and the growing threat of missiles and drones to areas and cities outside the group’s control, authorities in Aden and Hadhramaut raised their readiness levels and implemented security and military arrangements, including redeployment and enhanced protection of vital facilities.
Politically, Kuwait welcomed today the condemnation by UN Security Council members on Friday of the Houthi militia’s missile attacks against Saudi Arabia since July 13, and attacks against commercial ships since July 22.
Kuwait expressed its full appreciation for the Security Council members’ affirmation of the necessity to comply with international law and relevant resolutions, particularly Resolution 2216, and to respect Yemen’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, while rejecting actions that threaten regional security and the rights and freedoms of maritime navigation.
Kuwait reaffirmed its full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its support for all measures taken by the Kingdom to safeguard its sovereignty and security. It also reiterated its support for the legitimate Yemeni government and for the efforts of the UN Special Envoy aimed at achieving peace, security, and stability in the Republic of Yemen.
