00:26A
00:28major escalation is being reported in Yemen, as the Houthis claim they launched a large-scale
00:34missile and drone attack against Saudi-backed forces in the strategic Red Sea port city
00:40of Al Maka.
00:42On Sunday, August 9, Houthi military media released footage showing multiple ballistic missile
00:48launches and one-way attack drones.
00:51The group says the weapons targeted Saudi troop concentrations and weapons depots in the Al
00:57Maka area, also known as MOCA.
01:01Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Sari described the operation as a large-scale
01:08and qualitative military operation.
01:11According to Sari, the attack involved a large number of ballistic missiles and drones, which
01:17he claimed scored precise hits and caused widespread destruction of military equipment and weapons.
01:24He also claimed that dozens of people were killed or wounded, including Saudi personnel.
01:30But those claims have not been independently verified.
01:34The Houthis say the attack was a response to what they describe as a growing Saudi military
01:40build-up, including weapons and equipment being sent to Allied forces along Yemen's western
01:46coast and in Tayiz province.
01:49The group has framed the strikes as part of its wider Siege for Siege and Escalation for
01:55Escalation strategy.
01:57Al Maka is strategically important.
02:00The port lies near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical maritime choke point linking the
02:06Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
02:09On the government-aligned side, reports say the attack caused significant damage around
02:14the port.
02:15At least 11 people were reportedly killed, including military personnel and civilians, while dozens
02:22more were wounded.
02:23However, casualty figures vary between sources.
02:26The strikes reportedly damaged port infrastructure, buildings, employee housing, a customs facility,
02:34commercial goods, and food supplies.
02:37Government forces also said they intercepted several drones and an unmanned explosive boat.
02:43During a later wave, air defenses reportedly intercepted six drones, while two ballistic missiles
02:50fell into the sea.
02:51The two sides continue to offer sharply different accounts of the results.
02:56The Houthis claim major damage to military positions and Saudi casualties, while government-aligned
03:03sources have not confirmed the reported Saudi deaths.
03:07And the escalation did not stop with the initial barrage.
03:10A renewed wave of attacks was reported later the same day, with related activity also reported
03:17near areas including Al-Koka.
03:20The latest strikes come amid a broader escalation in Yemen, following other Houthi-claimed attacks,
03:27including a reported drone strike targeting Saudi Aramco's facility in Jizan.
03:32After years of relative calm under an unofficial ceasefire, these attacks are raising fresh concerns
03:40that Yemen could once again slide into a wider conflict.
03:44For now, the exact damage, casualty figures, and effectiveness of the strikes remain contested.
03:51But the message from the latest escalation is clear.
03:54Tensions between the Houthis and Saudi-backed forces are rising once again along Yemen's strategically
04:01vital western coast.
04:19Tensions between the Houthis and Saudi-backed forces are rising once again along Yemen's
04:20the Houthis and Saudi-backed forces are rising once again along Yemen's
04:24The Houthis and Saudi-backed forces are rising once again along Yemen's
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