The reported strikes followed Saudi Arabia’s warning of a firm response to Houthi missile and drone attacks that injured 13 people in three Saudi cities.
Yemen’s Houthi movement says Saudi Arabia carried out dozens of air raids across several Yemeni provinces, intensifying a cycle of attacks between the Iran-aligned group and the Saudi-led coalition.
The claims came after Saudi authorities said Houthi missile and drone attacks had injured 13 civilians in Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif. The attacks reportedly caused minor to moderate damage to seven homes and two vehicles.
Major-General Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition, said the coalition would respond firmly while acting to protect Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty. The coalition supports Yemen’s internationally recognised government in its conflict with the Houthis.
On Tuesday, the Houthis said 54 Saudi air raids had struck areas in Lahj, Taiz, al-Jawf, Marib and Hajjah. The group claimed that one attack hit a government complex in Taiz’s Khadir district and caused injuries.
Houthi-affiliated media separately reported that three civilians, including two children, were killed and at least two others wounded in strikes in the Dhubab and Maqbanah districts of Taiz. Saudi authorities had not publicly addressed those allegations at the time of reporting.
The latest escalation follows a Houthi announcement that the group had launched missiles and drones toward King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait. The Houthis said the operation targeted military infrastructure and was carried out in response to Saudi air raids in Yemen. The group also claimed that Saudi aircraft had conducted 300 raids across Yemen over five days, but those figures could not be independently verified.
The exchange of attacks comes amid renewed fighting on the ground. The Houthis have recently expanded their presence along parts of Yemen’s western coast and moved closer to the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a strategically important passage linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
Forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised government said they had recently recaptured positions in Taiz and attacked Houthi fighters and equipment near Dhubab and al-Khokha. The Houthis and government officials have also reported Houthi control of the Greater and Lesser Hanish islands, as well as Mayyun Island near the entrance to the Red Sea. These battlefield claims have not been independently confirmed.
The latest confrontation threatens to further undermine a United Nations-brokered ceasefire that halted large-scale violence in 2022. The conflict had intensified again in July after the Houthis announced a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia and began targeting ships in the Red Sea.
Further developments are expected to depend on whether Saudi Arabia follows through on its warning and whether the Houthi attacks continue. At present, the reported civilian casualties and damage from the latest strikes remain subject to competing claims and limited independent verification.
KEY FACTS:
● Saudi Arabia said Houthi missile and drone attacks injured 13 civilians in Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif.
● The Houthis claimed Saudi aircraft carried out 54 raids across five Yemeni provinces.
● Houthi-affiliated media reported three civilian deaths in Taiz, but Saudi Arabia had not confirmed the allegation.
● Recent fighting has taken place near Yemen’s Red Sea coast and the strategically important Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
● Al Jazeera said it could not independently verify the competing battlefield claims.
SOURCES:
● Al Jazeera — Houthis say air strikes hit Yemen after Saudi Arabia vows ‘firm’ responsealjazeera
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