• Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis have attacked the Red Sea port of al-Makha, controlled by the Saudi-backed government, killing at least seven people, an army spokesman said.

Houthi attacks on al-Makha port seen as a bid to regain strategic control

This port that holds strategic weight. It was under the control of the Ansar Allah Houthi movement from 2015 to 2017.

After that, Saudi Arabia and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government launched a military operation to regain control of the port, and it has remained under their control ever since.

Experts believe that this latest attack is an indication that the Houthis are attempting to regain control of the port of al-Makha, which would give them control of two ports and a strategic advantage, including the ability to monitor shipping coming in from the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.

Experts also believe that these latest attacks are in direct defiance against the new Mecca defence pact signed between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey.

On Saturday, after the agreement was signed, the Houthi spokesperson, Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, said that Pakistan and Turkey will be dealt with severely and will pay the price if they engage with Saudi Arabia in any military operations or in any military hostile actions against Yemen.

The Yemeni group has been attacking in Saudi Arabia, including Aramco oil facilities in Najran and in Jazan. And they continue to threaten to escalate their military operations not just against Yemeni government forces scattered around the country but also against Saudi Arabia, and according to this agreement, an attack on Saudi Arabia would be an attack on Pakistan and Turkey.

Yemeni forces say 3 civilians among 7 killed in Houthi attacks

Colonel Majid al-Nuzaili, the spokesman for Yemeni government forces, said in a statement on X that the seven victims of the attacks included four soldiers and three civilians in a Houthi attack on the port of al-Makha

He said 30 others were wounded.

The Houthis fired drones and missiles in the attacks, targeting both military and civilian sites, including power-generating stations, he said.

Yemeni government forces shot down 11 of the drones, he added.

Yemen’s Saba news agency, meanwhile, reported that the intercepted drones were targeting a solar power station supplying the port city, citing a military source.

The Houthis say they were targeting Saudi Arabian troops and weapons depots at the port.

UN envoy for Yemen calls on Houthis to stop attacks

Hans Grundberg has expressed concern over recent attacks by the Houthi movement on al-Makha (Mocha) in Yemen, and called for a de-escalation of tensions to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.

In a written statement on X, the UN envoy for Yemen said the recent attacks “come amid the most significant intensification of military activity since the 2022 UN-brokered truce, sharply increasing the risk of a return to full-scale conflict in Yemen”, adding that they have also put civilians “at grave risk”.

“This escalation must stop, and civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected,” he added, calling for “maximum restraint”.

The army of Yemen’s Saudi-backed government said the attack on al-Makha killed seven people – four soldiers and three civilians – and wounded at least 30 others.

The casualties came after an earlier wave of attacks on al-Makha on Sunday killed at least 11 people.

Yemen president: ‘Phase of aggression without consequences has ended’

President Rashad Mohammed al-Alimi, Chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, condemned the Houthi attack on al-Makha port, which killed women and children and struck civilian infrastructure, including a hospital and passport offices, Saba reported.

He said the strike was part of weeks of escalation, including attacks on Marib and Hadramout, and warned that “the phase of aggression without consequences has ended”.

Al-Alimi said Yemen “tested peace first” with “exceptional patience,” but stressed the state won’t let militias “monopolize” decisions on when to attack and when to stop. He called on the international community to take a “clear and swift” stance condemning the strikes and holding the Houthis accountable.

Houthis renew attacks on Yemen’s al-Makha

Houthi forces launched a new drone attack targeting the port city of al-Makha, according to Yemeni military sources cited by Al Arabiya. Heavy anti-aircraft fire was heard across the city as defenses engaged the drones.

A correspondent with Yemen’s Al-Hadath television channel also reported that Houthi drones were intercepted over the skies of the city a few hours ago.

Houthi attacks on the city have killed at least 18 people since Saturday according to Yemen’s army.

Yemen’s army says Houthis targeted residential areas in Marib

Yemen’s military says Houthi forces have targeted residential neighborhoods in the city of Marib with ballistic missiles and drones.