Explosions Reported in Sanaa as Houthis Claim Saudi Airstrikes

Loud explosions were heard in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, on Saturday as the Houthis reported airstrikes by Saudi forces in the area.

Al-Masirah TV, a Houthi-affiliated outlet, described the reported action as “Saudi aggression” against Sanaa. The channel did not provide information about the targets or any casualties, and the reports were not independently confirmed.

Reports of wider strikes

Al-Masirah TV had earlier reported missile strikes on the telecommunications network in Yemen’s north-western Saada governorate. The outlet did not provide further details about the reported strikes.

Separately, a large plume of smoke and fires was reported near an oil facility in Riyadh on Saturday. No cause, casualty figures or further details were provided in the report.

The Houthis have also claimed that Saudi Arabia bombed Sanaa on Thursday night, describing it as the first such action since fighting between the sides resumed in July. That claim was attributed to the Houthis.

Renewed fighting in Yemen

Yemen was plunged back into civil war in July after several years of relative calm. The conflict pits the Iran-backed Houthis, who control much of north-western Yemen, against the country’s internationally recognised government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia.

The government is based in Aden and controls much of Yemen’s south and east, a larger but less populated part of the country. Recent fighting has been concentrated around Taiz, including highlands overlooking coastal areas that were recently seized by the Houthis.

Sources on both sides reported that 80 combatants were killed on Friday in the conflict centred on Taiz.

According to the reported account of the renewed escalation, hostilities intensified after Iran sent a plane carrying a Houthi delegation to Sanaa without Saudi authorisation. Saudi Arabia then retaliated with strikes on Sanaa airport, after which the Houthis attacked Saudi territory for the first time since 2022.

Regional escalation

The fighting has also involved coastal areas along the Bab al-Mandab strait. The Houthis have struck multiple Saudi targets, including oil infrastructure and Riyadh, and announced a naval blockade on Saudi ships in the Red Sea.

Saudi Arabia has reportedly sought assistance from the United States. The request was described as having been so far rebuffed by US President Donald Trump.

The latest reports add to a rapidly worsening conflict following a fragile truce that had lasted four years. The available reports did not establish the targets or human cost of the explosions heard in Sanaa.