Yemeni armed forces aircraft conducted a series of airstrikes targeting Houthi positions, military vehicles, gatherings, and weapons depots in Taiz and Saada provinces. The strikes, which occurred recently, resulted in a large number of casualties, including field commanders. According to a statement carried by Al Arabiya, the airstrikes were aimed at Houthi military reinforcements and vehicles.
The airstrikes specifically targeted Houthi positions in Al-Hawban, east of Taiz, shortly after they arrived at a newly established camp. Several other raids hit Houthi positions and vehicles in Marran and Saqin in northern Saada, destroying a command centre, weapons depots, and military vehicles. The Yemeni armed forces also carried out strikes on Saturday against Houthi positions and gatherings in several areas of Taiz.
The raids targeted positions at the Mawiyah junction and Al-Akboush, as well as a Houthi reinforcement convoy on 60th Street north of Taiz. Other strikes hit Houthi positions in Al-Makhadir district of Ibb province. The Yemeni government forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, have been engaged in a long-standing conflict with the Houthi fighters.
The Houthis reported that Saudi airstrikes on a market on the outskirts of Taiz killed seven people and wounded 40, including five children. The group’s Al-Masirah TV channel broadcast images of the damage, showing vehicles with blown-out windows and damaged warehouses. Taiz remains under the control of forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
The latest violence comes after several years of relative calm, with Yemen’s war reigniting in July against the backdrop of the widening Middle East conflict. Fighting intensified in September as the Houthis launched a lightning offensive that saw them seize Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast, including the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
The Houthis have also imposed a blockade on Saudi energy exports, which were already being squeezed by Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz. On Saturday, Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted two Houthi drones heading towards the capital, Riyadh. In response, schools in Riyadh announced on Sunday that they would switch to remote learning for a week.
Yemen’s war erupted in 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, from the internationally recognized government before taking control of large parts of the country’s north. Riyadh intervened the following year at the head of an international coalition in support of the government. Despite Saudi backing, Yemen’s government forces have been unable to repel the latest Houthi offensive.
Key points
- Yemeni airstrikes targeted Houthi positions in Taiz and Saada provinces.
- The Houthis reported that Saudi airstrikes killed seven people and wounded 40 in a market on the outskirts of Taiz.
- The conflict in Yemen has led to a blockade on Saudi energy exports and increased tensions in the region.
