Aden: Forces loyal to Yemen's government said early Monday they dealt with 'hostile drones' that attempted to approach vital facilities in the interim capital Aden, southern Yemen. The announcement was made through the US social media company X by the Southern Armed Forces, led by Presidential Leadership Council member Abdul Rahman al-Muharrami. 'We are dealing with a number of hostile drones that attempted to approach a number of vital and service facilities in the capital Aden,' the forces said. They did not identify the attacking party or provide further details.
According to Anadolu Agency, the Yemeni army earlier said that a Houthi attack on the western city of Mokha on Sunday killed seven people, including four soldiers, and injured 30 others. In a related development, Yemeni authorities reinforced security and emergency preparedness at Al-Dhabba and Mukalla ports and Al-Rayyan International Airport in the eastern Hadhramaut province, a day after the Houthi attack on Mokha port. Salem Ahmed al-Khanbashi, a member of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council and governor of Hadhramaut, inspected the three facilities and reviewed their readiness and protection measures, according to two posts on X. Khanbashi called for closer coordination among civilian, military and security authorities, enhanced protection, updated emergency and safety plans and improved capacity to respond to potential threats. He described Al-Rayyan airport and Mukalla port as 'strategic pillars' of Hadhramaut and Al-Dhabba oil terminal as an important 'economic and strategic facility' for the prov ince and Yemen as a whole.
On Sunday, the Houthis said they had targeted what they claimed were 'Saudi military concentrations and weapons depots in the Mokha area.' Since 2015, Saudi Arabia has led a coalition supporting legitimacy in Yemen and backing the internationally recognized government, while Iran is accused of supporting the Houthis, who have controlled provinces and cities, including the capital Sanaa, since 2014. Mokha port is one of Yemen's important seaports and lies near the Bab al-Mandab Strait. It is controlled by the National Resistance Forces led by Presidential Leadership Council member Tariq Saleh. Fighting has periodically intensified along several Yemeni fronts since last month, leaving dozens of people dead and wounded on both sides. Yemen had been under a relative lull since April 2022 after nearly 12 years of war between government forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, and the Iranian-backed Houthis, who seized control of the capital Sanaa and large parts of the country in 2014.