Houthis Claim Saudi Air Strikes Hit Yemen Following Vowed Retaliation

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out dozens of air strikes throughout the country, escalating tensions after the Saudi-led coalition pledged a robust response to recent Houthi missile and drone attacks that injured 13 civilians in three Saudi cities.

The coalition, which supports Yemen’s internationally recognized government, confirmed early Tuesday that Houthi strikes against Khamis Mushait, Abha, and Taif resulted in minor to moderate injuries and damaged seven homes along with two vehicles. Coalition spokesperson Major-General Turki al-Maliki stated that the Joint Forces Command would handle the attacks responsibly and firmly to safeguard the kingdom’s sovereignty.

Later on Tuesday, the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, reported that 54 air raids were conducted over the past day across the governorates of Lahj, Taiz, al-Jawf, Marib, and Hajjah. The group alleged that Saudi F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets, operating from bases in Khamis Mushait and Taif, targeted the government complex in Khadir district within Taiz, causing injuries. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree threatened retaliation for the strikes.

According to Houthi-aligned media, the Saudi attacks killed three civilians, including two children, and wounded at least two others in the Dhubab and Maqbanah districts of Taiz province. Saudi Arabia has not publicly commented on these allegations, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to requests for comment.

The aerial exchanges follow an announcement by the Iran-aligned Houthi group on Monday, claiming it fired dozens of missiles and drones at the King Khalid airbase in Khamis Mushait. The group stated the attack targeted hangars, radar systems, runways, and ammunition depots in retaliation for prior Saudi air raids. The Houthis asserted that Saudi warplanes had conducted approximately 300 air raids across Yemen over the preceding five days.

These air skirmishes occur amid rapid Houthi ground advances in western Yemen last week, during which the group seized significant portions of the Red Sea coast and moved into areas near the Bab al-Mandeb strait. The strait has become a critical route for energy and commercial shipping, particularly as conflict between the US and Iran has caused major disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, forces loyal to Yemen’s recognized government reported making gains in contested Taiz province on Monday, retaking positions from the Houthis and striking fighters and equipment in Dhubab and al-Khokha on the Red Sea coast. Al Jazeera was unable to independently verify these battlefield claims.

Houthi and Yemeni government officials also stated on Monday that the Houthis had captured the Greater and Lesser Hanish islands in the southern Red Sea, located roughly 160 kilometers (100 miles) north of the Bab al-Mandeb, as well as Mayyun Island at the mouth of the Red Sea.

Yemen’s more than decade-long conflict reignited in July when the Houthis declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia and began attacking ships in the Red Sea, jeoparding a UN-brokered ceasefire established in 2022 that had previously halted large-scale violence.