Fighting escalates in Yemen; Houthi attacks trigger alerts in Saudi Arabia | Conflict News
Fighting has intensified across Yemen, with the internationally recognized government asserting that Houthi forces have killed three children in an artillery strike. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has accused the Iran-backed group of persistently targeting its infrastructure.
These claims emerged as early warnings of potential attacks were issued in several Saudi provinces Thursday morning. The Houthis vowed retaliation, alleging that Riyadh conducted 54 airstrikes over a 12-hour period.
The hostilities come amid heightened regional tensions further exacerbated by the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Israel against Iran. Pakistan has cautioned that continued Houthi assaults could activate the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement—a mutual security pact among Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan.
Iran refuted criticism from the Arab League regarding its involvement in Yemen, asserting that the Houthis operate on their own accord.
According to the World Health Organization, recent clashes have resulted in over 1,000 casualties since August 24, displacing tens of thousands of people. On Wednesday, the state-run Saba news agency reported the deaths of at least three children, including an infant, due to Houthi shelling in the central Marib governorate. Six others were reported wounded in the latest attack, which marks the second incident of this nature within 48 hours; the previous attack had killed two children and injured 15 others.
The Houthis also reported that the death toll from a prison attack in al-Jawf governorate rose to at least 32, with seven additional injuries following the Tuesday strike.
Yemen has been engulfed in conflict since 2014, when Houthi forces seized the capital, Sanaa. This led to a Saudi-led military intervention the next year, resulting in a devastating conflict that has claimed an estimated 150,000 lives. A United Nations-brokered truce in 2022 halted major fighting, but clashes resumed in July after an attack on the Houthi-held Sanaa airport. Recently, the Houthis launched a significant offensive in the provinces of Hodeidah and Taiz, aimed at advancing toward the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb Strait. This prompted government-aligned forces to launch counterattacks and expand their operations, particularly in al-Jawf, viewed as a gateway to Sanaa.
The conflict has also crossed borders into Saudi Arabia. Major General Turki al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, reported ongoing Houthi attacks on the kingdom’s infrastructure, specifically citing assaults on the cities of Khamis Mushait, Abha, and Jazan using ballistic missiles and drones. He indicated that the coalition would respond decisively to what he termed “heinous attacks.”
On Thursday morning, Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense authority issued alerts for Khamis Mushait and Abha, reiterating similar warnings issued the day prior. No casualties were reported in connection with these alerts.
The Houthi leadership promised retaliation for the recent Saudi airstrikes. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesman, stated that Saudi forces conducted 54 airstrikes across six provinces over a span of 12 hours, targeting areas including al-Jawf, Marib, Taiz, Hodeidah, Saada, and al-Bayda. He did not provide casualty figures but noted that the air operations originated from military bases in Khamis Mushait and Taif. “These airstrikes and the ongoing aggression against our country will not go unanswered and unpunished,” he asserted.
Saree had previously claimed that Saudi forces executed 121 airstrikes on Houthi-controlled territory in the preceding days, also referencing an attack on a prison in al-Hazm, al-Jawf. In retaliation, the Houthis claimed to have struck Aramco facilities and other locations in Saudi Arabia. Saudi officials reported that Houthi attacks had led to at least 73 injuries.
Separately, Yemeni government-aligned forces announced continued advancements in al-Jawf for a third consecutive day, claiming to have cut off Houthi supply lines in the region. They also reported conducting assaults on Houthi positions in Taiz and deploying additional reinforcements to support anti-Houthi operations along Yemen’s western coast, claims that remain unverified.
Pakistani officials reiterated this week that any attack on Saudi Arabia could activate the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, recently signed to bolster collective security against future threats. “If there is unprovoked aggression, or a spillover of whatever is happening in Yemen into Saudi Arabia, definitely the Mecca agreement will become operational,” Pakistan’s defense minister stated.
In response to a statement from Arab League foreign ministers, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned allegations of interference in Yemen, asserting its commitment to preserving Yemen’s unity and supporting Yemeni-led dialogue based on a UN-backed roadmap.
