Yemen government forces strike Houthis in Red Sea city of Mocha

Yemen's government forces announced on Saturday that they had engaged Houthi fighters in the Red Sea city of Mocha, amid a surge in civilian displacement due to renewed fighting. The clashes follow a week-long Houthi offensive that resulted in the group capturing the entirety of Yemen's Red Sea coast and key islands, thereby solidifying their control over the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The government news agency Saba reported that government forces destroyed Houthi vehicles and weapons and killed members of the militia near the port of Mocha. Majed Abdullah al-Nazili, the spokesman for the Yemeni government forces, stated that they also targeted Houthi "vehicles and members" on the Mocha-Dhubab road, approximately 11 kilometers from the city. Nazili had previously announced on Friday the commencement of shelling in Mocha and advised citizens to avoid the Taiz-Mocha and Mocha-Dhubab roads. The Houthis had taken control of Mocha on Thursday, prompting many residents to flee to Aden, the base of the internationally recognized government. Houthi media reported two Saudi strikes on Mocha's airport on Friday, while a local official indicated that the city's seaport was hit by six missiles from an unknown source. The ongoing Houthi offensive, which began last week, has resulted in over 500 fatalities and displaced approximately 46,000 people, according to various sources. These hostilities are part of the renewed civil war in Yemen, which escalated following the Houthi takeover of the capital, Sanaa, in 2014.