6 killed in Saudi coalition airstrike on Yemen's port city

At least six people have been killed and eight others injured in an airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition on Mokha, a port city in Yemen on the Red Sea coast. The information was confirmed in a report by Yemen-based news agency Saba News Agency on Tuesday, September 22.

The report further said that international pressure is increasing, calling on the Iran-backed group in Yemen to stop fighting.

Over the past few weeks, Houthi forces have taken control of the entire Red Sea coast of Yemen, including Mokha, through operations. This has left the Saudi-backed government struggling to bring the situation under control. The Yemen war, which began with the capture of the capital Sanaa in 2014, had largely stalled since 2022, but became active again in July.

According to Saba's report, six civilians, including two children and one woman, were among those killed in the airstrike. Another eight people, including one child and one woman, were injured in the incident.

Earlier on Monday, the United Kingdom and France said they would provide defensive assistance to Saudi Arabia, which has repeatedly come under attack by the Houthis. Foreign ministers of the G7 countries also condemned attacks launched from Yemen against Saudi Arabia on the same day, calling them "unacceptable and continuing", and called on the Houthis to immediately stop the attacks.

A joint statement by G7 leaders representing Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States said, "We call on the Houthis to immediately cease all military actions and threats and attacks on civilian shipping and return to the political process in good faith."

A day before this statement, a source in Alimi's office told AFP that in a phone call with US President Donald Trump, the head of Yemen's government, Rashad al-Alimi, sought US assistance against the Iran-backed fighters. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had also made a similar call.

The source further said Trump did not promise military assistance; rather, the phone call is being seen as an effort to express solidarity with Yemen's embattled government. It was also learned that Trump cancelled airstrikes against the Houthis at the last moment.

Source: Times of Israel