Escalation in Yemen as Houthis Launch Missile and Drone Strikes

Missile and drone attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis targeted displacement camps and residential areas in Marib, killing two individuals and injuring 14 more, according to the state news agency SABA. The assaults mark a significant escalation following the deaths of at least 30 Yemeni government troops in strikes on military camps in Marib and Hadramawt provinces just a day before.

The Houthis claimed responsibility for targeting forces backed by Saudi Arabia, saying they attacked military depots, vehicles, and equipment using missiles and drones at the Sahn al-Jinn camp. Reuters has not been able to verify these claims independently from either party involved.

Thursday’s attacks, which the Houthis also claimed responsibility for, were aimed at Saudi military movements in Marib and Hadramawt. The group cited concerns over a substantial Saudi military buildup preparing for action against their controlled areas as motivation for their strikes.

U.N. Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, highlighted the severe risk of large-scale conflict, following these hostilities and renewed attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. He urged maximum restraint from all sides and called for engagement in U.N.-led negotiations to avert deeper involvement in regional confrontations.

Last month, the Houthis announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, attributing it to a purported Saudi siege of Yemen—a claim that Riyadh denies. Saudi Arabia has led a coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government since 2015, following the Houthi capture of the capital, Sanaa, in 2014. The ensuing war has devastated Yemen and resulted in a major humanitarian crisis.