Fighting escalates in Yemen; Houthi attacks trigger alerts in Saudi Arabia

Fighting across Yemen intensified this week as rival sides traded fresh accusations and military actions. The internationally recognised government said Houthi artillery struck civilian areas in central Marib, killing at least three children — including a baby — and wounding others, an incident reported by state-run Saba news. The Houthis, meanwhile, accused Saudi forces of mounting a sustained air campaign and vowed to respond to what they described as ongoing aggression.

Houthi spokesmen reported that Saudi aircraft conducted 54 strikes across six provinces over a 12-hour period, naming al-Jawf, Marib, Taiz, Hodeidah, Saada and al-Bayda and saying some sorties originated from King Khalid and King Fahd air bases. The group also said the death toll from an attack on a prison in al-Jawf had risen to at least 32. Saudi-led coalition officials said the rebels continued to target the kingdom’s assets and infrastructure, alleging attacks on Khamis Mushait, Abha and Jazan with ballistic missiles and drones. Saudi civil defence issued multiple alerts for Khamis Mushait and Abha, though no casualties were reported in connection with those warnings.

On the ground in Yemen, government-aligned forces said they had advanced in al-Jawf for a third consecutive day and claimed to have reached the vicinity of Bir al-Maraziq and disrupted Houthi supply lines, while also mounting operations in Taiz and reinforcing anti-Houthi units along the western coast. The fighting follows a Houthi offensive in Hodeidah and Taiz aimed at pushing toward the Bab al-Mandeb strait; those moves prompted government counterattacks and broader combat across several governorates. Independent verification of many battlefield claims has not been possible.

The escalation is unfolding amid wider regional tensions, and officials and diplomats have warned of potential spillover. Pakistan said continued Houthi strikes could trigger the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement recently signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan. The conflict has deep humanitarian consequences at home: the World Health Organization reports more than 1,000 people killed or wounded since August 24 and tens of thousands displaced. Iran has rejected Arab League accusations of interference in Yemen, while the parties and their regional backers remain locked in a cycle of strikes and counterstrikes.