Forces loyal to Yemen’s government said they were dealing with “hostile drones” that attempted to approach vital facilities in the interim capital Aden, southern Yemen.
The announcement was made on Monday via 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.
Early Monday, the Yemeni army said in a statement that a Houthi attack on the city of Mokha and its port in western Yemen killed seven people, including four soldiers, and injured 30 others, while 11 drones involved in the attack were downed.
On Sunday, the Houthis said they had targeted what they claimed were “Saudi military concentrations and weapons depots in the Mokha area.”
Ballistic missiles, drones involved
Since 2015, Saudi Arabia has led a coalition supporting legitimacy in Yemen and backing the internationally recognised government, while Iran is accused of supporting the Houthis, who have controlled provinces and cities, including the capital Sanaa, since 2014.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed on Sunday the attack involved ballistic missiles and drones, claiming that the strikes caused extensive damage to military equipment and weapons and killed and wounded dozens.
Mokha port is one of Yemen’s important seaports and lies near the Bab al-Mandab Strait. It is controlled by 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.
