Yemen’s Houthis said Sunday that Saudi Arabia had launched more than 50 strikes against their positions in 24 hours, after the Iran-backed group claimed a rare drone and missile attack on a military base in the kingdom.
Renewed Conflict in Yemen as Houthis Target Saudi Ships
Fighting has escalated between Houthi forces and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government since July, when the Houthis announced a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia. This blockade has led to the group launching attacks on Saudi vessels in the Red Sea, marking a significant intensification of Yemen’s ongoing civil war.
Late on Saturday, the Saudi civil defence agency had said two people were injured after a projectile fired by the Houthis fell in the Jizan region, which also lies along the border. Up to now, the strikes have mainly focused on the front lines, in support of Yemeni government forces, without targeting the Houthis’ heart of power, including the capital Sanaa. The government retaliated by striking Sanaa airport, an attack the Houthis blamed on Saudi Arabia.
Yemen’s civil war began in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital and forced out the internationally recognised government. The fighting in Yemen in recent weeks has displaced nearly 86,000 people, a UN agency said on Sunday, with the number surging by 10,000 from a day earlier.
Earlier in the day, the Houthis said they used drones and missiles to attack the Sharurah military base in southern Saudi Arabia.
