Houthis accuse Saudi Arabia of launching 26 strikes in 24 hours
Yemen’s Houthi rebels said Saudi Arabia launched 26 strikes against areas under their control in the past 24 hours, and claimed a total of about 300 strikes over the previous week, AFP reported. The exchanges come amid rising clashes between the Houthis and forces aligned with the internationally recognised Yemeni government, with fighting reported in multiple provinces and concerns growing over impacts on regional shipping routes.
Why It Matters
The intensifying exchanges coincide with Houthi advances along the Red Sea coast and near the Bab al‑Mandeb Strait, raising international concern for maritime security and prompting diplomatic and naval responses from actors including the United States, the European Union and regional partners. These developments risk broadening the conflict’s regional and economic consequences, particularly for global trade through key sea lanes.
Key Facts
- Houthi claim of strikes in 24 hours: 26 Saudi strikes on Houthi-held areas, according to Houthi statements reported by AFP
- Houthi claim of strikes in past week: About 300 Saudi strikes across Houthi-controlled areas in the last week, per Houthi claims
- Yemeni government reported battlefield toll: 30 Houthi rebels killed and more than 60 wounded in clashes in al-Wazi’iyah district of Taiz province, according to the Yemeni government
- Civilian deaths reported in recent exchanges: At least five people killed earlier in the week, including three children, according to reports from both sides
- Incident in Saudi Arabia: One person killed in Taif governorate after a Houthi drone was intercepted, per Saudi authorities' statement reported in sources
Yemeni Houthi rebels reported a surge in Saudi air strikes this week, saying Riyadh carried out 26 strikes over a 24‑hour period and alleging roughly 300 sorties across Houthi‑held territory in the previous seven days, AFP reported. The group’s statements underscore a recent escalation in exchanges between the Iran‑aligned rebels and forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognised government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia.
On the ground in Yemen, the government said its forces killed 30 Houthi fighters and wounded more than 60 during clashes in the al‑Wazi’iyah district of Taiz province, one of several active fronts where fighting has increased this week. Both sides have reported civilian casualties in the intensified fighting; earlier reports attributed at least five deaths, including three children, to the recent exchanges.
The unrest has fueled public demonstrations and territorial shifts. Tens of thousands marched in Sanaa in a show of support for the Houthis and opposition to Saudi actions, while the rebels have pressed gains that they say put extensive stretches of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline and the strategic Bab al‑Mandeb Strait under their control. Those developments have heightened international worries about security for commercial shipping transiting the corridor.
The escalation has drawn diplomatic and security responses beyond the immediate combatants. US officials met Houthi representatives at the US embassy in Muscat and reportedly received assurances that vessels not associated with Saudi Arabia would not be targeted. The European Union raised the alert level for its Red Sea naval mission, Operation Aspides, and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas publicly criticised Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia as unacceptable and damaging to the global economy. Saudi requests for direct US strikes against the Houthis have not resulted in American military action to date, according to reporting."
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