Houthis claim Saudi base strike as Yemen fighting displaces 76,000

SANAA: Houthi fighters claim they utilized drones and missiles to strike a military installation in southern Saudi Arabia, as intensified clashes between the Iran-affiliated group and Yemeni government forces displace a significant number of civilians. The attack on the Sharurah base targeted weapons depots and command centers, according to Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree on social media platform X. The precise date of the operation remains unspecified.

Clashes have escalated this week between the two sides, with Yemeni forces reportedly striking Houthi positions in Mocha and southwestern Yemen. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman reportedly reached out to US President Donald Trump twice last week, seeking assistance in targeting the Houthis, but the request was denied. The ongoing conflict follows a week-long Houthi offensive that resulted in the capture of Yemen's Red Sea coast and several strategic islands, effectively securing their control over the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

This waterway has become crucial for Saudi oil exports following Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz at the beginning of the Middle East war. The Houthis have since imposed their own maritime blockade on Riyadh's Red Sea ports. Despite a ceasefire in 2022, the Yemen civil war reignited in July, with Saudi Arabia initially supporting the internationally recognized government in 2015.

On Saturday, Saudi authorities reported that a Houthi projectile hit an area near the border, resulting in two injuries and damage to a mosque, several buildings, and vehicles. The Yemeni civil war has forced millions of people to flee their homes, with the latest fighting causing even more displacement. The fall of Mocha to the Houthis on Thursday led many residents to seek refuge in Aden, the capital of the internationally recognized government.

Abdulali al-Rajihi, a displaced person, recounted the Houthis' demand to leave immediately as they fled with limited belongings. The UN's migration agency reported that 76,000 people had fled the fighting since July, a number that has quadrupled compared to the previous week. Approximately 1,400 individuals have sought shelter in Djibouti, according to Yemen's minister of economy and finance, Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh. The renewed fighting has claimed over 500 lives, as reported by sources on both sides.