Yemen’s government says Houthi attack on al-Makha kills at least four

The Houthis have launched an attack on the Red Sea port city of al-Makha (Mocha), killing at least four people, Yemen’s internationally recognised government says.

The government said the Houthis ⁠fired six ballistic ⁠missiles at al-Makha on Friday, amid an escalation in hostilities between the Iran-aligned group and its Saudi-backed opponents.

The armed forces aligned with the Yemeni government said the attack targeted civilian infrastructure and national assets at the port, adding that initial reports said four civilians were killed and several fishing boats were set on fire.

An unnamed military official from Yemen’s government told the AFP news agency that the strike killed at least eight people, including two security personnel.

The ⁠escalation comes at a time of heightened regional tensions over the US-Israel war on Iran, in which the Houthis have emerged as a key front, raising the prospect of a ⁠return to large-scale conflict in Yemen.

The Houthis said they had attacked what they ‌described as buildups, weapons and warships belonging to Saudi-backed forces and “mercenaries” in al-Makha with a large number of ballistic missiles, destroying boats and weapons.

Separately, the Houthi-run SABA news agency cited a military source as saying the group had targeted an Aramco facility in the Saudi city of Najran with a drone.

The source said the attack was a response to what it described as Saudi military aircraft entering airspace ⁠over the northeastern part of Yemen’s Saada governorate. The report did not ⁠identify the precise target or say whether it had been hit.