The Saudi-led coalition announced that it had destroyed a ballistic missile launcher in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a. According to the coalition, the facility had been used in an attempted attack on Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province.
In separate statements, the coalition said it had also destroyed two ballistic missile launchers in Yemen's northern Saada province. Saudi air defenses intercepted two ballistic missiles and two cruise missiles aimed at Riyadh and other areas, as well as an unmanned aerial vehicle headed toward the southern part of the country. The coalition reported no casualties or material damage from these attacks.
Earlier, The Associated Press reported 44 people killed and 40 wounded in the latest strikes, saying that 21 children and 10 women were among the victims. Rescue teams continued searching for people under the rubble, leaving open the possibility that the death toll could rise.
“Most of them are children,” said Houthi Health Ministry spokesman Anis al-Asbahi in the latest update. The Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out the strikes on residential buildings. The Saudi side did not confirm the specific attack, and the reported casualty figures have not been independently verified.
Retaliatory Attacks and Renewed Escalation
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said that the group had carried out attacks against targets in Saudi Arabia in response to the strikes in Yemen. He claimed that Saudi forces had carried out 91 air and missile strikes on six Yemeni provinces over the past 24 hours. This claim, too, has not been independently confirmed.
The escalation is unfolding against the backdrop of renewed fighting between the Houthis and the forces of Yemen's internationally recognized government, which are backed by Saudi Arabia. The truce brokered by the United Nations in 2022 largely brought the large-scale fighting to an end, but the conflict has escalated again in recent months. The continuation of the strikes increases the risk of further civilian casualties and a worsening humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
Sources: apnews.com, thestar.com.my