Seven people were killed on Sunday when Houthi rebels launched missile and drone attacks on the port of Mokha in Yemen, near the Bab Al Mandeb strait. These strikes also hit Saudi Arabia’s Jazan refinery, according to reports from the same day. Yemen’s Transport Minister Mohsen Al Omari stated the Mokha attack involved at least 25 projectiles, causing severe damage to recently restored infrastructure. He detailed that the Houthis bombed economic zones, employee housing, warehouses, private fuel stations, and storage tanks, among other port facilities.
A Yemeni military spokesman confirmed the attack killed seven individuals, including both civilians and military personnel. He added that an explosive-laden boat was used in the operation. Parts of the dock and facilities crucial for servicing ships and unloading goods and livestock sustained damage. The spokesman also noted that rebels attempted to destroy a solar power plant supplying electricity to Mokha, but they were unsuccessful.
Escalating Conflict and Blockade
Earlier, the Houthis declared they had carried out a “large-scale” missile and drone operation targeting Saudi-backed troops and weapons depots in the Mokha area. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree asserted that this operation involved numerous ballistic missiles and drones, resulting in widespread destruction of weapons and military equipment. He claimed dozens of people, including Saudis, were killed and wounded. The Houthis stated the attack was a direct response to Saudi troop reinforcements and ongoing attacks on Yemen's western coast and Taiz province.
Earlier on Sunday, Saree also announced a drone strike on an Aramco refinery complex in Jazan, southern Saudi Arabia, describing it as a “precise” attack. The group clarified that the Jazan strike was in response to what it characterized as Saudi violations of Yemeni airspace over the Saada and Hajjah provinces. Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry reported that a fire at the 400,000 barrel a day refinery on the kingdom’s west coast was brought under control, with no injuries reported. Aramco’s industrial firefighting teams extinguished the blaze at dawn, the ministry said, though authorities did not disclose the cause of the fire.
This fire at the Jazan refinery was contained on Sunday, with no reported injuries. It occurred less than two weeks after an alleged Houthi attack damaged the refinery's gasification complex and tank farm on July 27. The Houthis have declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, citing the kingdom's alleged siege of Yemen, which Riyadh denies. Attacks on Red Sea shipping and Saudi oil infrastructure have intensified concerns about deepening disruptions linked to broader regional conflict near the Strait of Hormuz.
Targeting Infrastructure
The Jazan refinery, situated on the Red Sea near the border with Yemen, has faced multiple Houthi attacks in recent weeks. These actions followed the Houthis' declaration of an “embargo” on Saudi ports and shipping in the Red Sea, which they stated was a response to a Saudi “siege” on rebel-held areas of Yemen. Saudi Arabia led a regional coalition in support of Yemen's internationally recognized government after the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, 12 years ago in 2014.
The attack on Mokha came just a day after government forces attacked the Houthis on several fronts. This was in response to the rebels' recent strikes on government-held areas in central and eastern Yemen. These exchanges mark a sharp escalation between the Houthis and the government, following a period where large-scale fighting had largely subsided after a 2022 ceasefire agreement, now four years old. On Friday, three days ago, more than 17 people were killed and many others wounded in a Houthi attack on the central province of Marib, a Yemeni official confirmed. Three additional people died in strikes on areas hosting internally displaced civilians, the official added. Government sources stated four days ago, on Thursday, that dozens of Yemeni government troops had been killed in recent Houthi attacks. The Houthis, for their part, said they fired drones and missiles at troops linked to Saudi Arabia. The conflict continues to devastate Yemeni infrastructure and civilian lives, a direct consequence of the ongoing intervention and alleged blockade. The cycle of violence shows no sign of abating, with critical infrastructure repeatedly targeted by both sides in this protracted struggle for control. The humanitarian toll remains immense, often obscured by the focus on strategic targets and military maneuvers.
Humanitarian Impact
The destruction of port facilities and economic zones in Mokha directly impacts the ability to deliver essential goods to a population already suffering under years of conflict and an alleged siege. The targeting of housing and civilian areas, as reported by the Yemeni military spokesman, underscores the devastating human cost of this protracted intervention. With infrastructure for servicing ships and unloading goods damaged, the flow of vital supplies into Yemen faces further impediments. The repeated strikes on energy infrastructure, such as the attempted destruction of the solar power plant in Mokha and the attacks on the Jazan refinery, highlight the broader economic warfare tactics employed in the region. These actions exacerbate an already dire humanitarian situation, leaving millions vulnerable to shortages of food, medicine, and electricity. The ongoing conflict, now in its fifth year since the 2022 ceasefire agreement largely subsided, continues to displace civilians and claim lives, with little international accountability for the parties involved. The international community has largely failed to enforce a lasting peace, allowing the conflict to fester and deepen the suffering of the Yemeni people.