Key facts
- Houthi rebels accused Saudi Arabia of striking a prison in northern Yemen, killing seven, including a child.
- Saudi authorities reported 73 people were injured in Houthi attacks on Saudi cities.
- Yemeni government forces launched a counteroffensive against the Houthis, aiming to recapture Sanaa.
- The Houthis announced a blockade of Saudi ships in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb.
- The World Health Organisation reported over 700 casualties since August 23.
Yemen's Houthi rebels accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out air strikes on a prison in the northern province of Jawf, killing seven people, including a child, and wounding at least seven others. The Houthis vowed retaliation for the alleged 'Saudi aggression.'
These accusations come amid an escalation of fighting as Yemeni government forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, launched a counteroffensive against the Houthis, with officials promising to recapture the capital, Sanaa. Intensive battles are ongoing in Taiz, Bayda, and Jawf provinces.
In parallel, Saudi authorities reported that Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia's southern provinces wounded 73 civilians, including women and children. Saudi Arabia condemned these attacks as a 'dangerous escalation' and stated it would respond. The Houthis also announced a blockade of Saudi ships in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb.
The conflict has seen significant casualties, with the World Health Organisation reporting at least 728 people killed or wounded since August 23, primarily in Taiz and along Yemen’s western coast. Some 21,000 people have been displaced from Taiz since Thursday. The fighting threatens to expand the country's long-running war, which began in 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa.