Houthis Claim Saudi Airstrikes Kill 30 at Busy Market in Yemen's Taiz Province

SANAA (Terror Monitor) — Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed on Friday, November 6, that Saudi-led coalition airstrikes struck a crowded market in southwestern Yemen, killing at least 30 people and wounding eight others, as rival sides exchanged accusations over responsibility for the deadly incident.

The reported strikes targeted Al-Hadara market in the Al-Waziyah district of Taiz province, according to Anees Alsabahi, a spokesperson for the health ministry operating under the Houthi-led administration in Sanaa.

Alsabahi initially reported that at least 20 people had been killed and 15 others wounded. However, the Houthi-run health ministry subsequently revised the death toll to 30, with eight people injured.

The updated figures were also reported by the French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) and the Associated Press (AP), although neither agency independently verified the circumstances of the attack or responsibility for it.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said three airstrikes hit the market at approximately 7 a.m. local time. He accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out the attacks and claimed the aircraft had taken off from Khamis Mushait air base in Saudi Arabia before conducting the strikes over Taiz province.

Saree also alleged that the aircraft left the area at around 8 a.m. However, he did not provide independently verifiable evidence to support the claims.

The Houthi-run Saba news agency reported that the strikes involved several missiles targeting the busy market, where civilians had gathered to purchase food and other essential supplies.

If confirmed, the reported death toll would make the incident one of the deadliest attacks since fighting intensified between the Houthi rebels and forces aligned with Yemen's internationally recognised government.

Yemeni Government Authorities Dispute Houthi Account

Authorities affiliated with Yemen's internationally recognised government acknowledged that an attack had taken place at the market and that civilians had been killed or wounded, but they disputed the Houthis' account of responsibility.

The Taiz provincial media office accused the Houthi rebels of carrying out the attack and said no military aircraft had conducted airstrikes in the area.

In a statement, the government-affiliated authorities warned that what they described as indiscriminate Houthi missile attacks, including ballistic missile launches, posed a threat to civilian lives and populated areas.

Local officials did not immediately provide an independently verified casualty figure or detailed information about the circumstances surrounding the explosions.

The competing accounts have made it difficult to establish precisely what happened at the market and who was responsible for the casualties.

AP Unable to Independently Verify Responsibility

The Associated Press reported that it could not independently verify the claims made by either side regarding responsibility for the incident.

Footage broadcast by Houthi-run Al-Masirah television showed smoke rising from the reported strike location, along with damaged buildings, destroyed vehicles, scattered fruit boxes and debris.

The footage appeared to show extensive damage to the market area, although it did not independently establish who carried out the attack.

Saudi Arabia's information ministry had not immediately responded to requests for comment regarding the Houthi allegations, according to the AP.

AFP also reported that the two sides were trading accusations over the attack, with the Houthis blaming Saudi Arabia and local authorities affiliated with the internationally recognised government holding the rebels responsible.

Escalating Fighting in Taiz Province

The incident comes amid renewed fighting in Taiz province, one of Yemen's most strategically important regions, where Houthi forces and government-aligned troops have been engaged in increasingly intense clashes.

The Houthis control large parts of Taiz province and have tightened their encirclement of Taiz city, where the internationally recognised government maintains its presence.

In September, the Houthi movement launched a major offensive in the region and captured the strategic port city of Mokha, approximately 130 kilometres from Taiz. The advance has increased pressure on government forces and raised concerns about the security of southern Yemen and access to important Red Sea shipping routes.

The fighting has also worsened the humanitarian situation, with civilians facing shortages of drinking water and food as restrictions on movement into and out of Taiz city continue.

Last month, Houthi forces also launched a ballistic missile attack on a military camp in the southern province of Shabwa, killing at least 75 government soldiers and wounding approximately 200 recruits, according to the Associated Press. The Houthis acknowledged carrying out that attack.

The latest market incident underscores the growing risks to civilians as fighting intensifies and both sides increasingly accuse each other of targeting populated areas.

With responsibility for Friday's reported airstrikes still disputed and the casualty figures yet to be independently established, the incident is likely to further heighten tensions between the Houthi movement and Yemen's Saudi-backed government forces.