Houthis Missile and Drone Strike Targets Saudi Military Base Amid Escalating Yemen Conflict

The Houthis missile and drone strike claim has added to rising tensions in Yemen, with the Houthi group saying it launched missiles and drones at a Saudi military base in the country’s south. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the alleged attack targeted the Sharurah base, including weapons storage areas and command centres. He did not give a date for the operation.

The report came as fighting between Houthi fighters and Yemeni government troops increased. Saudi Arabia supports the internationally recognized Yemeni government, but Iran backs the Houthis.

Houthis missile and drone strike claimed against Saudi base

According to the Houthi statement, the Sharurah military base was struck because it directed military operations against the organization. The Houthis did not disclose additional information regarding the missiles or drones used in the claimed attack.

The new assertion came after repeated attacks by Yemeni government forces on Houthi sites. On Saturday, government troops said they targeted Houthi fighters near the Red Sea port city of Mocha before striking further locations in southeastern Yemen.

Yemeni military officials later stated that three airstrikes were carried out on Houthi installations and barracks in the Taiz province. Government forces also reported damaging trucks and weaponry, as well as killing Houthi fighters, near Mocha.

Meanwhile, the Houthis said that Saudi planes had carried out 129 bombings against areas under their control in the previous 48 hours.

Fighting puts more pressure on Yemen’s Red Sea coast

The latest violence follows a week-long Houthi attack. The organization has seized control of the remaining part of Yemen’s Red Sea coast, as well as many vital islands, bolstering its position in the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

The breakthrough is especially significant for shipping and Saudi oil exports since the Red Sea route has become increasingly essential since Iran largely ceased shipments through the Gulf following its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz at the start of the West Asia war.

The Houthis have also declared a maritime embargo against Saudi ports in the Red Sea. The move has increased uncertainty around the critical shipping route.

Thousands of Yemenis forced to leave their homes

The renewed conflict has also prompted a significant increase in displacement. Yemen’s civil war began in 2014, when the Houthis stormed the capital, Sanaa. Although a ceasefire in 2022 stopped much of the conflict, skirmishes resurfaced in July.

The takeover of Mocha by Houthi forces on Thursday pushed inhabitants toward Aden, the headquarters of Yemen’s internationally recognized government. Some families claimed they were forced to leave with little warning and could only take a few possessions.

Abdulali al-Rajihi, a displaced resident, stated that his family was only given half an hour to depart. Saddam Ali, another local, escaped Al-Waziyah with his 11 children in a small pickup truck, claiming that he could not find an empty home or shelter in Aden.

The UN migration agency reported that the war has displaced 76,000 people since July. The figure had quadrupled in the previous week. According to Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh, Djibouti’s economy and finance minister, some 1,400 migrants have also crossed into the country.

According to sources on both sides, the resumed combat has killed more than 500 people.

Saudi Arabia reports injuries after projectile lands near border

Saudi authorities also confirmed on Saturday that a Houthi projectile landed near the border. The civil defense directorate stated that two individuals were hurt, and that a mosque, multiple buildings, and vehicles were damaged.

Meanwhile, Houthi sympathizers gathered in Sanaa to celebrate the liberation of 210 captives held in Houthi-controlled regions. Some of the convicts had apparently been detained for up to eight years.