At least seven killed in Houthi strike on Al-Maha port
The Yemeni army reported the morning strike on August 9, 2026; the Houthis said they used ballistic missiles and drones and targeted Saudi-linked forces and weapon stores.
At least seven people were killed on the morning of August 9, 2026, after a Houthi airstrike hit the Al-Maha port in Yemen's Taiz province, the Yemeni army said.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, saying they carried out the strike "with a large number of ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles" and that their targets were "soldiers of the Saudi enemy and weapons depots."
Strategic target on the Red Sea coast
The rebel group said the operation was justified by their belief that Saudi Arabia uses the port to strengthen and resupply Yemeni government forces stationed in that part of Taiz province. Al-Maha sits on the western shore of Taiz and is considered strategically important for control of the Red Sea.
Commanders and local officials said the port's position also allows monitoring of oil tankers and commercial traffic arriving from the Arabian Sea, giving whoever holds it a maritime advantage in the area.
Authorities have not released a full breakdown of the victims' identities, and reports from the scene indicate emergency services were responding throughout the morning. The strike adds to a pattern of cross-border and internal attacks that have continued to destabilize the region.
Further details, including the scale of material damage and any military losses, have not yet been confirmed by independent observers.
Photo: press material from the event
