The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have claimed responsibility for renewed attacks on neighboring Saudi Arabia, amid intensifying fighting along Yemen's Red Sea coast, DPA reports.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sari said the militia attacked the "Khamis Mushait" airbase in southern Saudi Arabia with dozens of missiles and drones, hitting weapons depots, runways, hangars and other facilities.
He said the attack caused "significant losses" but gave no further details.
Sari said the attack was carried out in response to more than 300 Saudi airstrikes on Yemen in recent days.
Saudi Arabia, which supports Yemen's internationally recognized government in its decade-long conflict with the Houthis, did not immediately comment on the militia's claim.
The Houthis seized Sanaa and large parts of northern Yemen in 2014 and still control large areas of the country. In a recent offensive, they advanced south along the Red Sea coast towards the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
According to Houthi officials and Yemeni government sources, the militia has also captured the strategically located islands of Mayyoun — also known as Perim — and Hanish.
The latest developments come after the rebels captured the Red Sea port city of Moha. It is still unclear whether and for how long the Houthis will be able to hold on to the captured territories.
A spokesman for the government-backed "Giants" brigades, Aseel al-Sakaladi, said the areas had been under intense shelling since then. He described the Houthi offensive as a "disaster" for the militia and said it could mark the beginning of its defeat in Yemen.
"Now there is an opportunity to exhaust them," al-Saqaladi said.
The renewed offensive has sharply escalated the civil war in Yemen and brought the Houthis closer to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait - one of the world's most important sea routes. Their advance on the islands of Hanish and Mayyoun has strengthened their positions around the strait.
The development of the situation could increase the threat to commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The Houthis have attacked shipping in the region in the past, and their recent territorial gains have raised concerns about their ability to exert further pressure on shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The Houthis have said they intend to ensure the safety of shipping in the area, while also declaring Saudi vessels under a "blockade".