Yemen forces say struck Houthi targets in several areas

Yemen's government forces reported on Sunday that they had targeted Houthi positions across the nation, intensifying a conflict that has engulfed one of the world's least developed countries and its neighboring region. The Yemeni armed forces initiated assaults on the Houthis in the capital, Sanaa, the northwestern Saada governorate, and the southwestern Taiz province, according to military spokesperson Colonel Majid al-Nuzaili.

The country descended into civil war in July after decades of relative peace, with the Iran-backed Houthis controlling most of northwestern Yemen, including Sanaa, while the government based in Aden holds sway over much of the southern and eastern regions. The strikes followed hours after the Houthis claimed an attack on an oil facility near Saudi Arabia's capital, with a journalist witnessing flames and smoke, and accusing the Gulf kingdom of bombarding Sanaa multiple times.

The ongoing conflict between the warring factions has deepened an already dire humanitarian situation in Yemen, with the World Food Programme warning that three-quarters of the population lacks access to basic food supplies.