Sana’a (HRNW)- At least six people were reportedly killed and eight others injured in Saudi-led airstrikes on the strategic Red Sea port city of Mocha (Mokha) in Yemen, according to the Houthi-affiliated Saba news agency. The reported casualties have not been independently verified.
Saba reported that those killed included two children and a woman, while the injured reportedly included a child and a woman. The Houthis are fighting Yemen’s internationally recognized government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia.
The reported airstrikes come amid a sharp escalation in fighting after Houthi forces seized strategic areas along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and advanced toward the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a major international maritime route. Reuters reported that the recent offensive has intensified the conflict between the Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces.
The developments have also prompted diplomatic activity. US President Donald Trump spoke by telephone with Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi on Sunday, with Alimi seeking US support for his Saudi-backed government. According to sources cited by Reuters, Trump did not make a direct commitment to provide military assistance during the call.
The renewed fighting around Mocha and the wider Red Sea coastline has heightened concerns over the security of global shipping and energy routes, particularly because of the strategic importance of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Saudi authorities have not publicly confirmed the casualty figures reported by Saba in the available reports, and details of the damage caused by the strikes remain subject to further verification.
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