The Houthis conducted a series of coordinated strikes targeting two Yemeni cities over the weekend, marking an escalation in the country’s ongoing conflict. An assault on al-Makha, situated along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, struck the city’s outskirts and a main thoroughfare, resulting in four fatalities and eight injuries according to local authorities and airport officials. In Marib, the group deployed six ballistic missiles and four unmanned aircraft against residential districts on Saturday evening, wounding four individuals and causing destruction to homes and basic services.
Port activities at al-Makha had already been suspended preceding these attacks due to earlier strikes spanning several days, according to the facility’s director general. The government claimed responsibility for a substantial military response, conducting 181 operations against Houthi positions across multiple regions during the same period, which officials stated resulted in casualties within the militant group. The Houthis acknowledged losing four members but offered no additional information regarding the circumstances.
This latest violence represents a significant shift following a period of relative calm that had prevailed since April 2022. The broader conflict between government forces and the Houthis, who have held the capital Sanaa and surrounding territories since September 2014, has continued for approximately 12 years. Recent intensification began earlier this month when strikes attributed to the group targeted military installations, resulting in at least 30 government soldier deaths—among the deadliest single incidents in recent years. Subsequent fighting has spread across multiple provinces including al-Jawf, al-Dhalea and Taiz.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI