Strong explosions heard in Yemen capital: AFP journalist

On Thursday evening, loud explosions were heard in Sanaa, the capital city of Yemen, which is under the control of pro-Iranian Houthi forces. The Saba agency, affiliated with the anti-government fighters, reported on Saudi aggression on the platform X. Footage from AFP showed large plumes of smoke rising above the city.

Yemen has seen a resurgence of conflict after several years of relative calm. The Houthis, who control Sanaa and Yemen's Red Sea coastline, are now at odds with the government backed by Riyadh. The Houthis hold Sanaa and Yemen's Red Sea coastline, while the government, recognized by the international community and supported by Riyadh, maintains authority over the south and east, a larger but less densely populated region.

Control over the airspace has reignited hostilities between the two sides. In July, Iran sent a plane to Sanaa carrying a Houthi delegation without obtaining authorization from the Saudi authorities, which violated a decade-old practice. This move prompted strikes allegedly conducted by the Saudi-led coalition on Sanaa's airport.

In response, the Houthis launched a fierce offensive in early September, swiftly seizing control of coastal regions along the strategic Bab el-Mandeb strait in just a few days. They have also targeted Saudi Arabia on multiple occasions, focusing on the kingdom's oil infrastructure and the capital, Riyadh.

In response to the escalating conflict, Saudi Arabia issued an air raid alert in Riyadh, causing widespread panic. On the international front, Israel struck a Houthi-controlled airport in Yemen's capital.