Latest News
Houthi Attacks Kill Three At Saudi Airports As Yemen War Intensifies
Yemeni government forces, backed by Saudi-led coalition air strikes, launched a counteroffensive this week to retake territory near the strait and around Mocha that the Houthis captured in September.
It remains unclear whether the government forces will hold their gains.
The latest fighting is linked to the wider US-Iran conflict and has revived Yemen’s long-running war, which has contributed to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
More than 200,000 people have been displaced since the latest fighting began, the International Organization for Migration said on Wednesday.
“People are running for their lives and finding nowhere safe to go,” IOM Director General Amy Pope said, calling for more funding to provide food and shelter.
Both sides have reported hundreds of deaths in the fighting but have not provided figures. The UN says three in four families are going hungry in parts of Yemen.
The Houthis have repeatedly targeted infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, including airports, oil refineries and pipelines.
On Wednesday, the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile north of Riyadh.
It said the missile had been launched from Houthi-controlled Sanaa and that it was tracking the launch platform, but gave no details of casualties or damage.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group had targeted King Khalid International Airport with several drones.
Battles Over Bab El-Mandeb-Houthi control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait could threaten shipping and global oil flows, prompting Saudi Arabia to seek additional international support.
Turkey is providing mainly defensive and technical assistance to Saudi Arabia, according to two officials. The move follows a new defence agreement between Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
Syria is also considering whether to provide military assistance to Saudi Arabia, according to US and Syrian officials.
Options include defensive support to protect Saudi territory or deploying forces to support Saudi-backed Yemeni troops fighting the Houthis.
A US official said Saudi Arabia had asked Syria to deploy forces against the Houthis.
A Syrian diplomat said Syria stood firmly with Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks but that its main focus remained domestic priorities, including recovery from its civil war.
On Yemen’s western front, fighting is concentrated around Dhubab, overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb. Pro-government forces are seeking to advance into strategic hills east of the coastal area.
The Yemeni government said on Monday that its forces had reached Mocha, which lies along a supply route to Taiz. Yemeni military officials and analysts later said the claim was premature.
The Houthis control much of northern Yemen and seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014. Saudi Arabia subsequently led a military coalition into the conflict, citing concerns about Iran’s influence and instability along its border.
The Saudi-led coalition accuses Iran of arming, training and funding the Houthis.
The Houthis deny being part of Iran’s regional proxy network and say they develop their own weapons. Tehran also rejects the Saudi-led coalition’s allegations.
Related
