Houthis claim attacks on Saudi ship, govt-held areas

Sanaa: Yemen’s Houthi group has confirmed that it had targeted what it described as a Saudi military equipment transport ship in the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, as well as Saudi-backed forces in the government-held areas of Mocha and Marib.

In a statement posted on social media platform X on Tuesday (local time), the Houthis’ military media centre said the group’s forces had carried out an operation targeting “a Saudi military equipment transport ship” in Bab al-Mandab. It did not identify the vessel or provide further details about the operation.

In a separate statement on X, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said “a large number of ballistic missiles and drones” targeted troop gatherings, weapons depots and command centres in Mocha, a coastal city in southwestern Taiz province, and at Tadawin military camp in the northeastern province of Marib.

Sarea claimed the strikes were “precise” and caused dozens of casualties, including Saudi personnel. There was no immediate confirmation of the claimed casualties from Saudi Arabia or the Yemeni government, reports Xinhua news agency.

Meanwhile, pro-government Coast Guard troops said in an updated statement that the commercial vessel Tihamah came under repeated missile attacks while sailing through Bab al-Mandab earlier Tuesday, leaving six people dead and 10 others wounded.

Four of the dead were crew members — three Pakistanis and one Indonesian — while the other two were members of the pro-government 2nd Naval Forces Brigade, according to the statement.

The statement said seven other crew members, two Coast Guard personnel and one member of the 2nd Naval Forces Brigade were wounded and are receiving medical treatment.

The Coast Guard said its troops, working with rescue teams from government forces, evacuated the casualties after the strikes sparked a fire aboard the vessel and caused significant damage.

The Bab al-Mandab Strait, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, is one of the world’s key maritime chokepoints and a vital route for international trade and energy shipments.

IANS