Yemen: Saudi Arabia Airstrike Kills 7, Dozens Injured

Sanaa (Terror Monitor) — At least seven people were killed and 40 others, including children, were injured in a strike on shops at a market in Yemen’s southwestern Taiz province on Sunday, according to the Iran-backed Houthis’ health authorities and media outlets.

The Houthi-run Al-Masirah television channel reported that Saudi fighter jets targeted the central market near the Mawiya junction in Taiz’s Al-Taiziyah district. The Houthi authorities described the incident as a Saudi airstrike and said the market was crowded when it was hit.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree also accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out the strikes and said Saudi aircraft had conducted multiple attacks in several Yemeni provinces. Houthi media reported that the attack caused significant material damage in addition to the casualties.

However, Yemen’s internationally recognized government gave a different account of the incident. Government officials said the operation targeted a Houthi military camp and vehicles near the same junction rather than the market itself.

Three military sources within the Yemeni government told Reuters that Iran-backed Houthi fighters had recently established a military camp near the market. The competing accounts could not be independently verified.

The strike came a day after Saudi Arabia said its air defenses intercepted two drones launched by the Houthis toward the Riyadh region. Saudi authorities have also reported intercepting incoming projectiles targeting areas in the kingdom amid a renewed escalation in attacks from Yemen.

Fighting Intensifies in Yemen

The latest violence comes amid a major escalation in Yemen after several years of relative calm.

The Iran-backed Houthis have recently intensified their military operations against forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government and have made advances toward strategic areas along the Red Sea coast.

Reuters reported earlier this month that Houthi forces had advanced into Yemen’s highlands and sought to capture strategic positions in Taiz and Lahij provinces, threatening to cut off Saudi-backed government forces from the Red Sea coast. The escalation has resulted in hundreds of deaths and displaced more than 130,000 people, according to figures cited by Reuters from the United Nations.

Taiz has become one of the main fronts in the renewed fighting. The province contains strategically important mountain routes and is close to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints.

The Houthis have also expanded their control along parts of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline, raising concerns about international shipping through the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the wider Red Sea region.

Rising Tensions With Saudi Arabia

The renewed fighting has also increased direct tensions between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, which has backed Yemen’s internationally recognized government.

On Saturday, Saudi-backed forces reported intercepting two Houthi drones heading toward Riyadh. Saudi authorities have also issued security alerts in parts of the kingdom amid repeated missile and drone attacks launched from Yemen.

The attacks have added to pressure on Saudi Arabia at a time when the wider Middle East remains affected by conflict and disruptions to major maritime routes.

The G7 foreign ministers recently called on Iran to stop supplying and supporting the Houthis and urged the group to halt military operations and attacks affecting civilian shipping.

Humanitarian Concerns

The renewed fighting is worsening Yemen’s already severe humanitarian crisis.

Recent clashes have displaced large numbers of civilians, particularly in Taiz and other areas affected by the offensive. Reuters reported that more than 130,000 people had been displaced amid the latest escalation, while humanitarian agencies have warned that continued fighting could further restrict access to food, medical services and other essential supplies.

The latest strike in Taiz has also raised fresh concerns over civilian safety because the reported impact occurred near a busy commercial area.

Yemen’s Long-Running War

Yemen’s civil war began in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and expanded their control over large parts of northern and western Yemen.

Saudi Arabia intervened militarily in 2015 at the request of the internationally recognized Yemeni government, leading a coalition against the Houthis.

A UN-brokered truce in 2022 significantly reduced large-scale fighting, but no comprehensive political settlement was reached. The latest escalation has reopened several major fronts and brought renewed attention to the strategic Red Sea coastline and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

The casualty figures from Sunday’s strike were reported by Houthi-controlled authorities, and the circumstances surrounding the attack remain disputed. Independent verification of the reported casualties and the precise target was not immediately available.