Yemen Fighting Intensifies Near Red Sea as Houthis Launch Attacks on Saudi Arabia

Fighting in Yemen has intensified along the Red Sea coast, with government forces launching fresh strikes against Iran-backed Houthi positions while the rebels claimed drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia.

The escalation follows recent Houthi gains on Yemen’s western coast, including the capture of the port city of Mokha and an island near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategically important shipping route. Yemen’s government has said it will deploy additional forces to the region to regain lost ground.

More than 82,000 people have been displaced since the beginning of September, according to the UN migration agency, as fighting spreads across parts of the country. The renewed violence has also heightened concerns about attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure and shipping in the Red Sea, potentially putting further pressure on global energy supplies.

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Saudi authorities activated warning sirens in Abha and Khamis Mushait after the Houthis claimed attacks using drones and missiles. Saudi civil defence also reported that a projectile landed near the Yemen border, injuring two people and damaging a mosque and other buildings.

The National Resistance, a government-aligned force, said more than 500 government fighters had been killed along the west coast during the past four weeks. It also claimed more than 1,000 Houthis were killed in Hodeida and Taiz, though the figures could not be independently verified.

Yemen’s internationally recognised government and Saudi Arabia have battled the Houthis for years, while a ceasefire that began in 2022 had largely reduced major fighting. Recent territorial gains by the Houthis have raised fears of a return to a broader civil war.

The conflict has also affected neighbouring Djibouti, with more than 2,000 Yemenis reportedly crossing the water to escape the violence. Humanitarian agencies have warned that displaced families urgently need shelter and basic supplies as the fighting continues.

With government forces preparing to reinforce the Red Sea coast and the Houthis continuing attacks, the latest escalation threatens to deepen Yemen’s humanitarian crisis and create fresh risks for regional security and international shipping.