Key facts
- Houthi rebels accused Saudi Arabia of striking a prison in northern Yemen.
- The strike reportedly killed seven people, including a child.
- At least seven others were wounded in the attack.
- The prison warden stated that 35 prisoners and a visiting woman were trapped under rubble.
- Houthi forces claimed to have downed four Saudi reconnaissance drones in the past 24 hours.
Houthi rebels in Yemen accused Saudi Arabia of striking a prison in the country's north on Monday, resulting in the deaths of seven people, including a child. The attack on the Central Corrective Facility in Hazm, Jawf province, also left at least seven others wounded, including a woman, according to a spokesman for the Houthi-run health ministry. The prison warden reported that 35 prisoners and a woman visiting her husband were trapped under the rubble.
The Houthi military spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, accused Saudi Arabia of launching airstrikes and committing "massacres," also alleging the deployment of reconnaissance drones and the supply of weaponry to what he termed "mercenaries." He vowed that the "ongoing Saudi aggression against Yemen will not go unanswered or unpunished."
Footage aired by the Houthi-affiliated al-Masirah satellite news channel showed the aftermath of the strike, depicting a collapsed building and debris. Rescue teams were seen searching through the wreckage.
This accusation comes as forces aligned with Yemen's internationally recognized government are reportedly advancing on multiple fronts, including in Jawf, Bayda, Dahle, and Marib provinces. The Houthis also claimed to have downed four Saudi reconnaissance drones over the past 24 hours.
Strikes on prisons have occurred during Yemen's civil war, which began in 2014. Previous incidents include a 2022 strike by the Saudi-led coalition on a detention facility in Saada that killed at least 87 prisoners, and a September 2019 strike on a Houthi-run facility in Dhamar that resulted in over 100 deaths. The conflict has led to an estimated 150,000 deaths and pushed the country towards famine, with a previously holding ceasefire now reportedly in tatters.