Houthis claimed attacks on a Saudi military equipment transport ship and Saudi-backed forces in Yemen…reports Asian Lite News Desk
Yemen’s Houthi group has claimed that it targeted what it described as a Saudi military equipment transport ship in the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, along with Saudi-backed forces in the government-held areas of Mocha and Marib.
In a statement posted on X on Tuesday, the Houthi military media centre said its forces had carried out an operation targeting “a Saudi military equipment transport ship” while it was sailing through Bab al-Mandab.
The group did not identify the vessel or provide details about the nature of the attack.
In a separate statement posted on X, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said “a large number of ballistic missiles and drones” had been used to target troop gatherings, weapons depots and command centres in Mocha, a coastal city in southwestern Taiz province, and at Tadawin military camp in northeastern Marib province.
Sarea claimed that the strikes were “precise” and caused dozens of casualties, including Saudi personnel. There was no immediate confirmation from Saudi Arabia or Yemen’s internationally recognised government regarding the alleged casualties, Xinhua news agency reported.
Meanwhile, pro-government Coast Guard troops said the commercial vessel Tihamah came under repeated missile attacks while travelling through the Bab al-Mandab Strait earlier on Tuesday.
According to an updated statement from the Coast Guard, the attacks left six people dead and 10 others wounded.
Four of those killed were crew members, including three Pakistanis and one Indonesian, while the remaining two fatalities were members of the pro-government 2nd Naval Forces Brigade.
The statement said seven other crew members, two Coast Guard personnel and one member of the 2nd Naval Forces Brigade were wounded and were receiving medical treatment.
The Coast Guard said its personnel, working alongside rescue teams from government forces, evacuated those affected after the attacks caused a fire on board the vessel and resulted in significant damage.
The reported attack comes amid continued tensions around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a strategically important maritime passage connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
The waterway is one of the world’s key maritime chokepoints and serves as a major route for international trade and energy shipments. Any disruption in the area can have wider implications for commercial shipping and regional security.
The Houthis, who control large parts of northern and western Yemen, have repeatedly carried out attacks linked to the wider regional conflict. The group has also targeted shipping in and around the Red Sea in recent years, citing its opposition to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
The latest claims could not be independently verified, while details surrounding the reported attacks and the extent of the damage remained unclear.
