Turmoil in the Middle East: Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Unceasing Exchanges of Fire

Saudi Arabia bombed the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, in response to Houthi attacks on Riyadh. The Houthis report casualties. Meanwhile, the Yemeni army claims it carried out strikes against Houthi targets, including a high-value target in Sanaa and 11 targets in Saada province. The escalation follows a series of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia in the past month.

The escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi rebels in Yemen has reached a new peak with heavy Saudi bombing of the capital Sanaa, in response to a wave of Houthi attacks on Saudi cities. The Houthis report casualties in the strikes. However, Yemeni army spokesman Majid al-Nuzaili claims that it was the Yemeni air force that carried out the strikes against Houthi targets, including a high-value target in Sanaa and 11 targets in Saada province. Residents of Sanaa reported heavy explosions and smoke near the presidential palace. The current escalation began on September 19, when the Houthis launched missiles and drones at sensitive targets in Riyadh and at Aramco facilities in Yanbu. The Saudi-led coalition intercepted ballistic missiles and drones. On September 29, a Houthi drone struck an electricity distribution station in Tayba, near the Prophet's Mosque in Medina. The Houthis denied responsibility. According to Reuters, Saudi Arabia is preparing for a broader military campaign, which will include over 100,000 Yemeni fighters with Saudi air support and American intelligence, aiming to regain control of areas along the Red Sea coast and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The renewed fighting has already displaced tens of thousands of people.