Saudi airstrikes on Yemen’s Mokha reportedly kill six

SANAA: At least six people were reportedly killed and eight others injured after Saudi-led coalition airstrikes hit Yemen’s strategic Red Sea port city of Mokha, according to Houthi-affiliated media, as fighting intensifies along the country’s western coast.

The casualties were reported by Yemen’s Houthi-linked Saba news agency, which said the dead included two children and a woman. Among those wounded were also a child and a woman. The claims could not be independently verified immediately.

The reported strikes came amid a sharp escalation between Houthi forces and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces. The Houthis have recently expanded their presence along Yemen’s Red Sea coastline, including their capture of Mokha, a strategically important port near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The renewed fighting has raised concerns well beyond Yemen. The Bab el-Mandeb is a major maritime chokepoint linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, making developments around Mokha important for international shipping and energy supplies.

Pressure builds for international support

The latest escalation also coincided with a diplomatic push by Yemen’s internationally recognised government for greater international assistance.

Yemeni Governing Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi spoke by telephone with US President Donald Trump and sought American support against the Houthis, according to a source in al-Alimi’s office. Trump, however, did not commit to providing direct military assistance during the call, the source said.

The United States has so far shown caution over becoming more deeply involved in the renewed conflict, while other Western countries have been discussing ways to help protect Saudi Arabia and regional shipping.

The escalation follows recent Houthi attacks targeting Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities said on September 19 that their air defences intercepted a ballistic missile launched toward Riyadh, while the Houthis have also claimed attacks against Saudi energy and infrastructure targets.

Meanwhile, the G7 foreign ministers on Monday called on Iran to stop arming and supporting the Houthis and urged the group to halt military operations and attacks on civilian shipping.

With fighting spreading around the Red Sea coast and pressure mounting around Bab el-Mandeb, the latest strikes on Mokha have added another dangerous chapter to Yemen’s long-running conflict, while raising fresh questions over the security of one of the world’s important maritime trade routes.