Key facts
- At least 30 Yemeni government soldiers were killed and 15 injured in Houthi missile and drone attacks on military camps.
- Houthi forces reported 12 fighters killed, including four officers, amid military escalation.
- The recent violence marks a significant breakdown in a relative lull in Yemen since 2022.
- The US embassy in Yemen condemned the Houthi attacks as cowardly and an act of terrorism.
- A Saudi-led coalition reported 11 civilians injured in a separate Houthi attack on Najran.
Four members of Yemen's government-aligned forces were killed in recent clashes with the Houthi movement, according to a statement carried by Al-Joumhouria television. This follows an announcement by Houthi-run Al-Masirah television that 12 of its fighters, including four officers, were killed amid a sharp military escalation.
The Yemeni army reported conducting 81 military operations against Houthi positions within 24 hours, stating that field commanders and fighters had been "neutralized." The recent uptick in violence marks a significant breakdown in a relative lull that had prevailed in Yemen since 2022, following nearly 12 years of war between the internationally recognized Yemeni government and the Iranian-backed Houthis.
Al Jazeera reported that Houthi attacks on Yemeni military camps in Hadramout and Marib killed at least 30 government soldiers and injured 15 others, marking the deadliest escalation in years. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed the attacks, using missiles and drones, resulted in "hundreds" of casualties. The Yemeni military confirmed the strikes, framing them as a response to their own attacks on the Houthis.
Separately, the Saudi-led coalition stated that a Houthi attack on the Saudi city of Najran injured 11 civilians. The US embassy in Yemen described the attacks as "cowardly" and "an example of terrorism against Yemeni people."
Three Yemeni government forces were killed and four wounded in a Houthi drone attack targeting military sites in Marib on Friday, according to a Yemeni military source. This attack occurred after 58 government forces were killed in Houthi missile and drone attacks on Thursday.