Yemen Conflict Escalates as Houthis Strike Saudi Arabia

Aden: The conflict in Yemen escalated sharply on Sunday, with government forces striking Iran-backed Houthi rebel positions along the Red Sea coast while the Houthis fired projectiles into neighbouring Saudi Arabia, which backs Yemen's internationally recognised government.

Yemeni military officials said airstrikes were carried out on Houthi positions in Mokha and the coastal town of Dhubab, as well as other areas of Taiz province. The rebels reported counter-strikes and artillery fire from Saudi-backed forces in the same region.

The escalation follows a setback for the Yemeni government last week, when the Houthis seized the port city of Mokha along with an island near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital alternative shipping route to the Strait of Hormuz. The government has pledged to send reinforcements to the Red Sea coast in response. The United Nations estimates more than 80,000 people have been displaced by the fighting since the start of September, raising fears that the impoverished nation could slide back into full-scale civil war.

The Houthis claimed to have struck Saudi Arabia with drones and missiles, including a military base near the Yemeni border, though no evidence or timing was provided. Saudi civil defence authorities said a projectile struck an area close to the border overnight, injuring two people and damaging a mosque and nearby buildings, attributing the strike to the Houthis. Riyadh did not report any new offensive action against the rebels.

The Houthis have said the attacks form part of a declared blockade targeting Saudi oil infrastructure and shipping routes, while maintaining they do not intend to threaten international commercial traffic.