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Yemen Fighting Escalates as Houthi Attacks Hit Saudi Arabia — AI-generated representative image: Civilians move through a damaged residential area amid renewed fighting in Marib, Yemen.

Editorial Team

Marib shelling kills three children while Riyadh warns of Iran-backed missile and drone strikes on infrastructure

Fighting has escalated sharply across Yemen, with the internationally recognised government accusing the Houthis of killing three children in an artillery attack on Marib, while Saudi Arabia said the Iran-backed group continues to target the kingdom's infrastructure using ballistic missiles and drones.

The developments triggered civil defense alerts in several Saudi provinces early Thursday, as the Houthis vowed to respond to what they described as 54 Saudi airstrikes carried out over a 12-hour period on Wednesday.

The renewed hostilities mark a significant widening of a conflict that had largely subsided under a 2022 United Nations-brokered truce. The escalation now risks drawing in regional powers, with Pakistan warning that continued Houthi attacks could activate the recently signed Mecca Joint Defense Agreement involving Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan.

Confirmed Casualties and Attacks

According to the World Health Organization, the clashes have killed or wounded more than 1,000 people since August 24 and displaced tens of thousands. The government-run Saba news agency reported that at least three children, including an infant, were killed in Houthi shelling in the central Marib governorate, with six others wounded. Saba said this was the second such attack in 48 hours, following an earlier assault that killed two children and wounded 15 others.

The Houthis said the death toll from an attack on a prison in the northern al-Jawf governorate had climbed to at least 32 people, with about seven others wounded in Tuesday's strike.

Background of the Conflict

Yemen has been mired in conflict since 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention the following year and a devastating war that killed an estimated 150,000 people. A UN-brokered truce in 2022 halted large-scale fighting, but clashes resumed in July after a strike on the Houthi-held Sanaa airport.

Last week, the Houthis launched a major offensive in Hodeidah and Taiz provinces aimed at advancing toward the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a critical maritime waterway for Saudi oil exports. That offensive prompted government-aligned forces to mount counterattacks and expand operations elsewhere, including in al-Jawf governorate, which is considered a gateway to Sanaa.

Official Statements and Military Claims

Major General Turki al-Maliki, a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, said the Houthis were "persisting" in attacks on the kingdom's assets and infrastructure, adding that the rebels had targeted Khamis Mushait, Abha, and Jazan. He promised the coalition would respond to what he called the Houthis's "heinous attacks."

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on social media that Saudi forces had launched 54 airstrikes across six provinces over 12 hours on Wednesday, targeting al-Jawf, Marib, Taiz, Hodeidah, Saada and al-Bayda. He said the aircraft took off from King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait and King Fahd Air Base in Taif. Saudi officials said Houthi attacks on Tuesday had wounded at least 73 people.

Current Status and Next Steps

Government-aligned forces said they continued advancing in al-Jawf for a third consecutive day, reaching the vicinity of Bir al-Maraziq and claiming to have severed Houthi supply lines, though these claims could not be independently confirmed. Additional reinforcements were reportedly sent to bolster anti-Houthi National Resistance forces along Yemen's western coast.

Saudi Arabia's Civil Defense authority issued multiple alerts for Khamis Mushait and Abha early Thursday, with no casualties reported. The Houthis have promised further retaliation, while the full scope of the escalation remains under assessment.