Saudi-led forces, Houthis trade strikes as Yemen conflict escalates

SANAA, Sept 10 - A renewed Yemeni conflict erupted on Wednesday as Saudi-led forces and Houthis traded airstrikes, with hundreds killed near the Red Sea. Over fifty attacks struck various regions, focusing on volatile areas like Taiz and Hodeida, both hotspots of intense fighting between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed government, according to the rebels.

Mohammed Khudairi, who fled the clashes among nearly 20,000 displaced people, detailed the devastating impact, saying, "It's a catastrophe, and the attacks are ongoing. We managed to leave, but others remain trapped there."

The escalation followed the Houthis' destructive attacks on oil sites and the wounding of 73 people, marking their heaviest missile and drone assault on Saudi Arabia in years. The coalition responded by accusing Iran-backed rebels of fresh attacks on the kingdom's southern regions. Houthi TV reported 32 dead and seven injured from Saudi missile strikes on a prison earlier.

The hostilities stem from the broader Middle East war, ignited in February by US-Israeli strikes on Iran, propelling Yemen, the oil-rich Gulf, and other regions into turmoil, with oil prices surging back to $100 per barrel.

Over 500 people have perished since the Houthis initiated a major offensive last week to seize control of the Bab al-Mandab strait, a critical gateway to the Red Sea shipping route. Analysts suggest the rebels aim to choke off oil shipments from Saudi tankers as a way to tighten their grip. The Saudi-led coalition's spokesman, Turki al-Maliki, reported that Houthis launched missiles and drones at Khamis Mushait, Abha, and Jizan without disclosing casualty figures.

Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree claimed the Saudi air force conducted 54 airstrikes targeting provinces including Al-Jawf, Marib, Taiz, Hodeida, and Saada in the past 12 hours. Footage showed Houthi attacks on Saudi forces in Jawf province, including missiles striking the frontline, leaving flaming wreckage.

The Institute for the Study of War analyzed that Hodeida, currently controlled by the Houthis, could be the ultimate target for Saudi-backed forces. A report stated that the loss of Hodeida would be a significant setback for the rebels, given its importance to Houthi civilian and military operations. In July, the Houthis sparked the conflict again by allowing an Iranian plane to land despite Saudi control over Yemeni airspace, leading to retaliatory airstrikes on the airport.

The ongoing skirmishes threaten to resurrect a conflict that had left hundreds of thousands dead and triggered a humanitarian crisis. The Houthis, who seized Yemen's capital and ousted the internationally recognized government in 2015, battled a Saudi-led coalition until a 2022 UN-brokered ceasefire.