SANAA/RIYADH: Yemen’s Houthi movement said Saudi-led coalition aircraft carried out more than 50 airstrikes across several Yemeni provinces as fighting between the rebels and Saudi-backed government forces intensified further.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said 54 strikes hit areas in Al-Jawf, Marib, Taiz, Hodeida and Saada over a 12-hour period. Earlier reports had put the number at around 40. The claims have not been independently verified.
The latest strikes followed renewed Houthi missile and drone attacks on southern Saudi Arabia. Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said projectiles were launched towards Khamis Mushait, Abha and Jizan, although no casualties were reported from the latest salvo.
Fighting has intensified sharply in Yemen in recent days, particularly around Taiz, Hodeida and Al-Jawf, where Saudi-backed forces have launched ground operations against Houthi positions. The Houthis say they have repelled several advances, while government forces claim to have captured territory in multiple areas.
The escalation threatens to further unravel the fragile truce that had largely reduced large-scale fighting since 2022. A separate Saudi-led strike on a prison in Al-Jawf earlier this week reportedly killed at least 23 people, while Houthi attacks on Saudi oil facilities injured 73 people and caused fires at several installations.