Yemen’s Houthis say Saudi strikes killed one, targeted telecom towers

Saudi strikes in Yemen resulted in one civilian death and injured another, while also targeting three telecommunications towers, Houthi media reported on Thursday. The attacks occurred in Taiz province and the town of Abs, according to Almasirah television. On Wednesday, Riyadh accused the Houthis of launching a "cowardly" attack on Mecca, a claim the group denied.

Since seizing control of strategic coastal areas overlooking the Bab al-Mandeb strait from Saudi-backed government forces, the Houthis have reported dozens of daily Saudi strikes. Their recent territorial gains solidify the hold of Iran and its allies on the two vital waterways crucial to the broader Gulf, including top crude exporter Saudi Arabia, for shipping oil.

In July, the fragile 2022 truce between the Houthis and the government crumbled after the group welcomed an Iranian plane to Sanaa, defying Riyadh's control over Yemeni airspace. This move triggered a series of attacks and later led to a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia, with the Houthis targeting its ships and territory. The ongoing conflict in Yemen, the Arabian Peninsula's poorest nation, has displaced over 100,000 people, as per the United Nations.