SANAA – Yemen's Houthi group said on Tuesday that it had targeted what it described as a Saudi military equipment transport ship in the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, as well as Saudi-backed forces in the government-held areas of Mocha and Marib.

In a statement posted on social media platform X, the Houthis' military media center said the group's forces had carried out an operation targeting "a Saudi military equipment transport ship" in Bab al-Mandab. It did not identify the vessel or provide further details about the operation.

In a separate statement on X, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said "a large number of ballistic missiles and drones" targeted troop gatherings, weapons depots and command centers in Mocha, a coastal city in southwestern Taiz province, and at Tadawin military camp in the northeastern province of Marib.

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Sarea claimed the strikes were "precise" and caused dozens of casualties, including Saudi personnel. 

Fighting between Yemeni government forces and the Houthi group intensified Tuesday in Marib, leaving at least eight Houthi fighters and three government soldiers dead, a military official told Xinhua.

6 dead after missile attacks on ship 

Meanwhile, pro-government Coast Guard troops said in an updated statement that the commercial vessel Tihamah came under repeated missile attacks while sailing through Bab al-Mandab earlier Tuesday, leaving six people dead and 10 others wounded.

Four of the dead were crew members -- three Pakistanis and one Indonesian -- while the other two were members of the pro-government 2nd Naval Forces Brigade, according to the statement.

The statement said seven other crew members, two Coast Guard personnel and one member of the 2nd Naval Forces Brigade were wounded and are receiving medical treatment.

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The Coast Guard said its troops, working with rescue teams from government forces, evacuated the casualties after the strikes sparked a fire aboard the vessel and caused significant damage.

The Bab al-Mandab Strait, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, is one of the world's key maritime chokepoints and a vital route for international trade and energy shipments.

Houthis say open to talks with Saudi Arabia

Also on Tuesday, the Houthi group said it remains open to dialogue with Saudi Arabia, but will press ahead with attacks on Saudi-linked shipping and military targets unless its demands are met.

In a statement posted on social media platform X, Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the group's chief negotiator and spokesperson, said a Houthi delegation was holding contacts and meetings with regional and international parties over the latest developments.

"We have not closed the door to dialogue and negotiations," Abdul-Salam said, accusing Saudi Arabia of rejecting talks while preparing for further military action in Yemen.

He said the recent strikes on Saudi-linked ships and forces were retaliation for attacks on Houthi-held areas, notably the July 13 strike on Sanaa airport that prevented an Iranian plane carrying a Houthi delegation from landing.

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There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia on the Houthi remarks.

The statement comes amid a sharp escalation between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia. The Houthis have recently stepped up missile and drone attacks on government-held areas in Yemen, targets in Saudi Arabia, and Saudi-linked commercial shipping.

Yemen has been mired in conflict since late 2014, when the Houthis seized much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 in support of the internationally recognized Yemeni government.

A UN-brokered truce took effect in April 2022 and expired six months later without a formal extension, but a fragile de facto ceasefire largely held for years before the recent escalation.