Sanaa, Aug 2026 : Yemen's Houthi group has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Saudi military equipment transport vessel in the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, while also reporting missile and drone strikes against Saudi-backed forces in government-controlled areas of Yemen.
In a statement posted on X on Tuesday, the Houthi military media centre said its forces had targeted what it described as “a Saudi military equipment transport ship” while it was passing through the Bab al-Mandab. The group did not identify the vessel or provide details about the nature or extent of the damage.
The Houthis separately claimed that their forces had launched a large-scale attack against military positions in the government-held areas of Mocha in southwestern Taiz province and Marib province.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said a combination of ballistic missiles and drones was used against troop concentrations, weapons depots and command centres at Mocha and the Tadawin military camp in northeastern Marib.
Sarea described the strikes as “precise” and claimed they caused dozens of casualties, including Saudi personnel. However, there was no immediate independent confirmation of the reported casualties from Saudi authorities or Yemen's internationally recognised government.
The claims came amid reports of a separate attack on commercial shipping in the same strategically important waterway.
Pro-government Coast Guard forces said the commercial vessel Tihamah came under repeated missile attacks while transiting the Bab al-Mandab earlier Tuesday. According to an updated statement, six people were killed and 10 others wounded in the incident.
Four of those killed were crew members—three Pakistani nationals and one Indonesian—while the remaining two fatalities were members of the pro-government 2nd Naval Forces Brigade.
The Coast Guard said seven other crew members, two Coast Guard personnel and another member of the 2nd Naval Forces Brigade sustained injuries and were receiving medical treatment.
According to the authorities, the missile strikes triggered a fire aboard the vessel and caused significant damage. Coast Guard personnel and government rescue teams subsequently evacuated the injured and other casualties from the ship.
The reported attacks underscore continuing security risks around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a vital maritime passage connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. The waterway is one of the world's most important shipping chokepoints and serves as a major route for international trade, commercial shipping and energy supplies.
Any prolonged disruption in the area could have wider consequences for global shipping, potentially forcing vessels to take longer alternative routes and increasing transportation costs.
The latest developments also highlight the continuing volatility in Yemen, where the Houthi movement remains locked in conflict with forces backed by Saudi Arabia and the internationally recognised government.
(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
