Powerful explosions were reported across Yemen’s Houthi-held capital Sanaa, with Houthi-run media claiming renewed Saudi airstrikes on the city….reports Arab Daily News Desk
Loud explosions were reported in Yemen’s Houthi-held capital Sanaa late on Saturday, with Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reporting renewed Saudi airstrikes on the city. Residents said powerful blasts shook buildings and rattled windows, while casualties were not immediately known.
A Sanaa resident, speaking to Xinhua on condition of anonymity, said warplanes could be heard overhead as explosions echoed across the capital.
“The blasts were so powerful that the ground shook beneath us,” the resident said. “It felt like an earthquake. Our windows were rattling, and the children woke up terrified.”
Local residents said they believed the strikes targeted Houthi positions, although there was no immediate confirmation of the targets or any casualties.
Earlier on Saturday, the Houthis said they had launched ballistic missiles and drones at an Aramco facility in the Saudi capital Riyadh. The group described the attacks as retaliation for what it said were intensified Saudi airstrikes on Yemen.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said 60 air and missile strikes had hit Yemen over the previous 24 hours, according to Xinhua news agency.
The latest reports come amid an escalation in tensions between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia. The Houthis announced a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia on July 20, after which cross-border missile and drone attacks and airstrikes intensified.
The confrontation widened further in September amid fighting between Houthi forces and Yemeni government forces, which are largely backed by Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis captured the Red Sea port city of Mocha on September 10 and took control of strategically located Mayyun Island the following day, according to the report.
Yemen’s conflict began in late 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa and large parts of northern Yemen. Saudi Arabia subsequently led a coalition that intervened in March 2015 in support of Yemen’s internationally recognised government.
The conflict has since caused widespread destruction and a prolonged humanitarian crisis, while repeated efforts to achieve a lasting political settlement have struggled to end the fighting.
