Escalating Conflict in Yemen as Houthis Strike al-Makha and Marib

Flames and smoke rise from the port of al-Makha during a strike in Yemen, August 14, 2026 [Abdulnasser Alseddik/AP Photo]. The Houthis launched a wave of missiles and drones at Yemen’s Marib city and the coastal city of al-Makha (Mocha) overnight, resulting in multiple casualties, according to local media reports.

An attack on Sunday struck the outskirts and a main road of al-Makha, a Red Sea port city. According to state media and the director of the al-Makha airport, four people were killed and eight others were injured in these overnight strikes. Meanwhile, Marib’s government media office reported that six ballistic missiles and four drones targeted residential neighborhoods in the city on Saturday evening, wounding four individuals and damaging homes and civilian infrastructure.

Abdulmalik al-Sharabi, the director general of the government-controlled facility, stated that port operations in al-Makha had already been paused due to several days of ongoing strikes. In response, the Yemeni military announced it carried out 181 operations against Houthi positions across several governorates over Saturday and Sunday, which killed and wounded dozens of group members. The Houthis acknowledged the deaths of four members but did not provide further details regarding the circumstances.

Yemen had previously experienced a relative lull in fighting since April 2022. The broader conflict began nearly 12 years ago between government forces and the Houthis, who have maintained control over the capital, Sanaa, and other cities and provinces since September 2014.

Earlier this month, the Houthis struck military camps in Marib and Hadramout, killing at least 30 government soldiers in the deadliest single episode of the conflict in years. Since then, fighting has actively resumed across multiple provinces, including al-Jawf, al-Dhalea, and Taiz.