Houthis clash with Yemeni forces

Clashes erupted late Thursday between Iran-backed Houthi rebels and government forces in Yemen, reigniting fears the country's civil war may flare up again and become another front in the Middle East. One Yemeni soldier was killed and another critically injured in the fighting, according to Yemeni military officials.

The violence intensified as the Houthis targeted government-held areas across the nation with drones, missiles, and attacks on oil facilities in neighboring Saudi Arabia and Red Sea shipping. Since last week, dozens of government troops have been killed in Houthi assaults, the Yemeni military reported.

Elsewhere, tribal leaders in Marib said Yemeni artillery had targeted Houthi movements overnight. Earlier this week, the Houthis struck a commercial ship in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, killing six people. With the Strait of Hormuz currently blocked by Iran, the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb have become key shipping routes for Saudi Arabia.