21 September,2026 11:22 AM IST | Sanaa | mid-day online correspondent
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said on Sunday that the strikes targeted Taiz, Marib and Al-Jawf provinces. Pic/AFP
Yemen's Houthi group has said that Saudi Arabia carried out 28 airstrikes across three provinces in the past 24 hours, as fighting between the group and forces aligned with Yemen's internationally recognised government continued on several fronts.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said on Sunday that the strikes targeted Taiz, Marib and Al-Jawf provinces. The claim has not been independently verified, and Saudi authorities had not immediately commented on the figures.
Sarea said in a statement that F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets operating from Saudi air bases at Khamis Mushait and Taif carried out the strikes.
He said the latest operations brought the cumulative number of airstrikes since the latest escalation began to 760.
The Houthi statement did not provide details of casualties or the extent of damage caused by the reported strikes.
Houthi-run Al-Masirah television separately reported that an airstrike struck a telecommunications tower in Al-Jawf. It also reported artillery fire in areas of northern Saada province near the Saudi border.
The reports came amid renewed fighting across several parts of Yemen, with both sides continuing military operations as the conflict has intensified in recent weeks.
The latest escalation has revived concerns that Yemen's conflict could return to the level of fighting seen before the UN-brokered truce in 2022.
Ground fighting has also continued in southwestern Yemen, particularly in Taiz province.
A government military source told Xinhua that government forces had retaken several positions in western Taiz. The source said, however, that the broader front lines had remained largely unchanged amid continued fighting.
The renewed fighting follows a rapid Houthi advance along Yemen's Red Sea coast earlier this month. The group captured the strategic port city of Mocha on September 10 before extending its advance towards the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
The Houthis subsequently took control of Dhubab and Mayyun Island, also known as Perim Island, according to reports. Their advance has brought them closer to the strategically important Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a major maritime route connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
The rapid territorial gains have forced large numbers of civilians to flee their homes. Reuters reported that more than 115,000 people had been displaced by the renewed fighting, with many seeking shelter in other parts of Yemen or crossing to Djibouti.
The developments have also raised concerns about international shipping and regional energy supplies because of the strategic importance of the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb.
Yemen's conflict began in late 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa and large parts of northern Yemen. Saudi Arabia subsequently led a military coalition that intervened in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognised government.
A UN-brokered truce in 2022 significantly reduced major fighting, although a formal permanent peace agreement was not reached.
(With inputs from IANS)
