Houthis strike al-Makha port, killing at least 11

Houthi forces carried out missile and drone attacks on the Red Sea port city of al-Makha, Yemen, on August 9 and 10, 2026, leaving at least 11 people dead, officials said. The strikes hit government-held areas and were reported to have damaged port infrastructure and food supplies in the city.

Officials said the assault focused on infrastructure controlled by the internationally recognised Yemeni government, including commercial facilities and military positions along the western coast. The operation was described as a coordinated barrage involving ballistic missiles, drones, and an unmanned explosive boat.

al-Makha attacks included drones, missiles and an explosive boat Yemeni government forces said they intercepted six drones during the attacks. Officials also said two ballistic missiles landed in the sea, indicating some projectiles did not reach land targets despite the scale of the barrage.

Even with the interceptions reported, authorities said the strikes caused major damage to port facilities and to food supplies. The port is a key logistics point on Yemen’s western coastline, and damage to storage and handling infrastructure can disrupt the movement of goods into nearby areas, according to officials’ descriptions of the impact.

The Houthis said the operation was a response to what they described as a military buildup by Saudi-backed forces in the region. No independent confirmation of that claimed buildup was provided in the statements cited in the source material.

Ballistic missile strike reported in al-Khokha

The violence was not limited to al-Makha, according to local reports referenced in the source material. In the al-Khokha district, a ballistic missile strike hit the residence of the government-appointed governor of Hodeidah, and it was described as an assassination attempt.

Local authorities instructed residents to stay indoors as the security situation remained volatile. Officials did not provide further details in the source material on potential additional casualties outside al-Makha or the condition of those targeted in al-Khokha.

Escalation along Yemen’s western coast raises supply concerns

Officials characterised the attacks as a sharp intensification of hostilities along Yemen’s western coastline. The Red Sea coast includes critical supply routes used for commercial shipments and humanitarian goods, and damage to port infrastructure can have immediate consequences for access to food and other essentials.

The source material did not specify the full extent of the damage, the number of wounded, or whether further strikes were expected. Authorities’ calls for residents to remain indoors underscored the uncertainty facing civilians as security forces assessed the aftermath and the risk of renewed attacks.