Houthis say at least 33 killed in Saudi air strike near Sanaa

Houthi officials say at least 33 people were killed in air strikes on the village of al-Shariya near the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Saturday.

Houthi health ministry spokesman Anees Alasbahi said in a post on X early on Sunday that at least 39 people had been wounded. He said eight women and 13 children were among those killed, and that the strikes had hit several homes.

Houthi-linked Al-Masirah broadcaster showed footage of the attack showing piles of debris and wounded people in a hospital. The television station has also shown a number of injured people being carried on stretchers to hospital.

There was no initial comment from Saudi Arabia on the reported strikes.

Background

The Iran-backed Houthis have controlled Sanaa and large swathes of western and northern Yemen since the outbreak of the southern Arabian country's civil war in 2014, while Saudi Arabia backs Yemen's Aden-based internationally recognized government.

The United Nations says over 1,600 people have been killed and more than 300,000 displaced since the intensification of fighting.

On Friday, an airstrike on a market in southern Yemen killed at least 30 people, according to Houthi officials. The Houthis and Yemeni government forces traded accusations of being behind the strike.

Saudi-led coalition forces also reported that they had intercepted a Houthi missile launched towards Saudi Arabia's Riyadh province.

Why it matters

The reported strike is the latest escalation in fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed forces in Yemen, following a period in which the war had been relatively quiet.

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Sources

• bbc.com: Houthis say at least 33 killed in Saudi air strike
• dw.com: Yemen: 33 killed in strike near Sanaa, Houthis say

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.