Houthi report fresh Saudi strikes as conflict deepens

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have reported more than 40 Saudi airstrikes across several parts of the country as fighting between the two sides continues to intensify.

The Houthis said the latest strikes targeted several areas, including Taiz and Hodeida, where fighting between the rebels and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces has grown in recent days.

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The reported airstrikes came a day after the Houthis launched a major missile and drone attack on southern Saudi Arabia.

Saudi authorities said the attacks wounded 73 civilians, including women and children, and damaged energy facilities in cities including Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jizan and Najran.

The Houthis have said their attacks were carried out in response to Saudi-backed military operations in Yemen.

The renewed fighting has raised fears that Yemen’s fragile truce could collapse completely and that the country could return to a wider war.

The conflict has also added to wider tensions in the Middle East, with the fighting taking place alongside the broader war involving Iran, Israel and the United States.

The Houthis’ claims about the latest Saudi airstrikes could not be independently verified, while Saudi authorities have not confirmed the full extent of the reported attacks.

The escalation is also raising concerns over regional security and shipping routes around the Red Sea, an important corridor for global trade and energy supplies.