Yemeni government forces report fresh Houthi ballistic missile strikes on al‑Makha and residential areas of Marib, with no immediate confirmation of casualties. The attacks follow a strike that killed at least seven people in al‑Makha and a Houthi drone strike in Shabwa that killed two soldiers. Government forces say they have hit Houthi positions in al‑Jawf, Saada and al‑Tibas. The UN warns the escalation risks undoing the gains of the 2022 truce and drawing Yemen into a broader regional confrontation.
Houthis Launch Ballistic Missiles On Al‑Makha And Marib As Fighting Escalates
The Red Sea port city of al-Makha has been repeatedly targeted by Houthi attacks [File: Reuters]
Yemen’s internationally recognised armed forces say the Iran-aligned Houthi movement fired a new series of ballistic missiles at the Red Sea port city of al‑Makha (Mocha) and at residential districts in central Marib. Government officials said there was no immediate confirmation that Monday’s strikes caused casualties.
Latest Attacks And Reported Casualties
The new missile strikes came a day after Houthi missiles hit al‑Makha, killing at least seven people and wounding about 30, according to government accounts and local reports. Separately, local media reported a Houthi drone strike in the south‑central province of Shabwa that killed two Yemeni government soldiers and wounded seven.
Government Counterstrikes
In a series of posts on X, Yemeni government forces said they targeted Houthi fighters and positions in eastern al‑Jawf, northwestern Saada, and around the al‑Tibas area of central Marib province. Both sides have carried out strikes in recent days, deepening tit‑for‑tat exchanges across multiple fronts.
Why The Conflict Has Escalated
The clashes are being described by observers as the deadliest in Yemen in years and mark a significant escalation after a period of limited fighting. The government links the renewed violence to wider regional tensions; it says the conflict reignited in part after a Saudi air strike on the runway of Sanaa airport on July 13 prevented the landing of an Iranian flight carrying a senior Houthi delegation.
In retaliation for that strike, the Houthis attacked Abha airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia and announced a blockade on Saudi shipping in the Red Sea. They have since targeted Saudi vessels and oil facilities, contributing to broader disruption of shipping and energy infrastructure. The Saudi‑led coalition has responded with strikes on Houthi‑held Hodeidah and Kamaran island and reinforced pro‑government troops along front lines.
Human Cost And International Concerns
The wider conflict in Yemen has already exacted a heavy toll: decades of fighting and humanitarian collapse have left hundreds of thousands dead by some estimates and millions displaced. The truce brokered in April 2022 reduced large‑scale combat for a time but has been under strain since July.
UN special envoy Hans Grundberg warned: "Yemen today faces a greater risk of renewed large‑scale conflict than at any point since the UN‑brokered truce of April 2022," adding that the escalation could "jeopardise the gains of the 2022 truce … while also drawing the country into a broader regional confrontation, with devastating consequences for its people."
The United Nations and international partners have urged restraint and called for steps to prevent wider regional spillover as both military and diplomatic pressure mounts.
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