Houthis Claim Ballistic Missile Attack On Saudi Military Landing Ship Off Red Seaport Of Mocha

Houthis claimed to have attacked a Saudi military landing ship along with 4 escort vessels off the Red Sea port of Mocha in Yemen.

The group’s spokesperson Yahya Sarea said that the ‘direct and precise’ hits led to fire on the landing vessel while the escort boats sank, some after catching fire.

He posted it on social media platform X and also said that the group is monitoring all the movements of Saudi Arabian ships, or those carrying its cargo, as it continues the campaign against Riyadh.

Sarea also claimed that the group launched a drone attack at a weapons depot at the Sahn al-Jin camp in Yemen’s Marib province, which was used by the Saudi Armed Forces.

Houthis have increased missile and drone attacks in recent weeks against the areas controlled by the government in Yemen and also strategic locations in Saudi Arabia.

Mocha in Yemen is one such port city which has become a focal point in the latest attacks. From last month onwards, Houthis have launched many attacks against the city, which have killed and injured dozens of people, halted shipping operations and caused damage to port infrastructure and equipment.

Mocha lies close to the Bab el-Mandeb ​Strait, a strategic chokepoint linking the Red Sea with the ​Gulf of Aden. Last week, Houthis attacked a vessel in th Bab el-Mandeb Strait in which four crew members lost their lives.

The Group has imposed a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea in response to what they call a Saudi siege on Yemen, a blame Saudi Arabia says is false.

Yemen has been engulfed in a conflict since 2014 when the Houthis seized the northern part of the country, along with the capital Sanaa.

To combat them, a coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened in 2015 to support the government of Yemen, which is recognised internationally.

A negotiation brokered by the United Nations entered into effect in 2022. It expired 6 months later without an extension, but things have largely remained in control until the recent attacks.