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Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels launched a wave of missile and drone attacks on Saudi-backed government forces and Saudi territory, killing at least 58 troops and wounding dozens, according to military and medical sources. The attacks, which struck military camps in central and eastern Yemen and the southern Saudi region of Najran, mark one of the deadliest escalations in the country's conflict since a 2022 truce largely held.

Coverage comparison

Reports of the attacks varied in the death tolls and scope, reflecting the fluid and chaotic nature of the battlefield. A military source quoted by South China Morning Post said at least 58 government troops were killed and dozens injured, while earlier medical sources had spoken of 38 dead. The Hindu reported that at least 30 government troops were killed and 50 wounded in central and eastern Yemen, citing Yemeni officials. France 24, citing a Yemeni military source, said Houthi attacks in Marib province killed eight government troops and wounded 12 others, while the health minister of the Saudi-backed government said shelling in Marib city killed at least two civilians and wounded 14.

The attacks extended into Saudi Arabia, with The Hindu reporting that more than 10 civilians, including a 4-year-old child, were injured in the southern region of Najran, near the Yemeni border. Turki al-Malki, a spokesman for the Saudi military, said the later attack wounded seven Saudi nationals, one Yemeni, two Egyptians and one Pakistani expat. France 24 also reported on the Marib attacks, describing them as a response to a Saudi-backed build-up of government forces.

Key claims

  • Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the rebels attacked government positions with ballistic missiles and drones, targeting camps in Marib and Hadramout provinces, including the Sahn al-Jinn camp, in response to what he described as a Saudi-backed military build-up.
  • A Yemeni military source told AFP that Houthi attacks in Marib province killed eight members of government forces and wounded 12 others, and that more than 10 missiles and seven one-way attack drones targeted military camps in the province.
  • Health minister Qasim Buhaibeh said shelling by the Houthis targeted residential neighbourhoods and displacement camps in Marib city, killing two civilians and wounding 14 others.
  • A military official described the attacks as the deadliest between the two sides since 2022, with one missile attack hitting troops during morning formation at a camp in Marib, killing and wounding at least 45 personnel, according to a military source.
  • A Houthi leader claimed responsibility for the attacks and said hundreds were either killed or injured.
  • The defence ministry of Yemen's internationally recognised government said its armed forces would respond to the attacks "at the appropriate place and time."
  • A source close to the Saudi military said the Saudi-led coalition would not stand "idly by" as the Houthis step up their attacks.

Perspectives

The Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree defended the attacks as a response to an alleged military build-up backed by Saudi Arabia, saying the rebels were "prepared to confront any escalation." He claimed the attacks targeted government-held camps with missiles and drones.

Saudi military spokesman Turki al-Malki condemned the attacks on civilian areas, saying the "terrorist Houthi militia carried out these terrorist attacks using indiscriminate shelling against civilian objects," which he said was a violation of international humanitarian law.

The Yemeni government, through its defence ministry, vowed to respond to the attacks "at the appropriate place and time," while a source close to the Saudi military warned that the coalition would not stand "idly by" as the Houthis escalate.