At least three powerful explosions were heard on Thursday night in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, which is controlled by the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, also known as Ansarallah.
According to reports, the Houthi-linked SABA news agency said a “Saudi attack” was under way in Sanaa and other Yemeni cities, while footage showed thick plumes of smoke rising above the capital.
Saudi Arabia reports interceptions
At the same time, the Saudi-led military coalition announced that it had intercepted and destroyed four drones launched by the Houthis towards the city of Khamis Mushait.
The coalition also said it had intercepted two ballistic missiles over the southern Saudi regions of Khamis Mushait and Jazan.
War intensifies again
The developments come amid a renewed escalation of the conflict in Yemen.
After years of relative de-escalation, fighting resumed on a large scale in July between the Houthis, who control most of northern Yemen and parts of the Red Sea coast, and the internationally recognised government based in Aden and backed by Saudi Arabia.
According to reports, the latest phase of the conflict was triggered by a dispute over control of Yemeni airspace.
Following air strikes attributed to Riyadh against Sanaa airport, the Houthis launched attacks on Saudi territory for the first time since 2022, effectively ending the truce.
Red Sea attacks increase
Since then, the Houthis have intensified missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia, targeting oil facilities and areas around the capital, Riyadh.
In early September, they also carried out a major operation along the Red Sea coast, strengthening their control around the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Turkey condemns attacks
The Saudi-led coalition also accused the Houthis of targeting an electrical transformer in Medina, claiming the facility supplied power to the Prophet Muhammad Mosque.
Turkey condemned the alleged attack and reiterated its support for Saudi Arabia, calling for an immediate end to such actions.
The Houthis denied targeting Medina, describing the accusations as “fabricated and defamatory.”
The latest exchanges of strikes and bombardments around Sanaa underscore the renewed escalation of the Yemen conflict, further expanding the number of active flashpoints across the Middle East.
Source: ANA-MPA
