Yemen: Houthis Say 22 Killed in Strike Near Sanaa as Saudi Response Is Awaited

Deaths reported near Sanaa

The Houthi-run Health Ministry said airstrikes hit al-Shariya on Saturday and killed at least 22 people. The village lies near the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. Houthi-linked broadcaster Al-Masirah aired footage it described as showing the attack, including debris and wounded people in a hospital. The footage’s claims were not independently confirmed in the report.

Renewed fighting across Yemen

The Iran-backed Houthis have controlled Sanaa and large parts of western and northern Yemen since the civil war began in 2014. Saudi Arabia supports Yemen’s Aden-based internationally recognized government.

A yearslong truce collapsed over the summer. The Houthis advanced and took further territory along the Red Sea coast in September, including Mokha and strategic islands in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The Houthis have also attacked targets in Saudi Arabia, including oil facilities, military infrastructure and shipping in the Red Sea. The United Nations says more than 300,000 people have been displaced as fighting intensified.

Other reports of clashes

On Saturday, pro-government media said Yemeni government forces repelled a Houthi attack on the al-Aqroud front in contested Taiz province in southwestern Yemen. Saudi-led coalition forces also said they intercepted a Houthi missile heading toward Riyadh province.

Houthi officials said at least 30 people died in a Friday airstrike on a market in southern Yemen. The Houthis and government forces blamed each other for that attack. The United Nations puts the death toll from intensified fighting at over 1,600.