America News Agency

According to CCTV, Saudi-led coalition forces conducted an airstrike early Tuesday on Mukalla Port in Hadramout province, causing damage to some residential buildings near the port.

In a statement, the coalition said the strike targeted weapons and military vehicles unloaded from two vessels that arrived over the weekend from the UAE’s Fujairah Port and were described as unauthorized.

Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said the ships had disabled their tracking systems, adding: “These vessels transported large quantities of weapons to support the Southern Transitional Council in Hadramout and Al-Mahra provinces. This constitutes a clear violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2216 of 2015.”

Al-Maliki stressed that the operation was conducted within a legal framework, stating: “The operation was carried out in accordance with international humanitarian law and customary rules, and no civilian targets were harmed.”

However, some residents living near the port gave different accounts. Salem Ali al-Haj Zaid said: “Our home suffered severe damage due to the airstrike targeting Mukalla Port. The military vehicles that were hit were only about 20 to 40 meters away from our house. Sudden and violent explosions occurred at around 4:30 a.m.”

Another resident, Umm Ali, highlighted the impact of the attack on children, saying: “The children cried until morning. They were very frightened and could not fall asleep again.”

Umm Mohammed, who lives on the top floor of a building near the port, said: “We were very scared. My mother is elderly. The greatest damage occurred on the floor where I live. I am a widow—who will compensate us?”

The strikes reportedly took place at a time of rising tensions in Hadramout province between Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces and the Southern Transitional Council.

Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition called for the “immediate evacuation of Mukalla Port and its surroundings for the safety of civilians” in a statement via the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

Mukalla, the capital of Hadramout province, is located in southeastern Yemen and is a strategically and economically important port city.