Saudi-led strikes kill 27 in Yemen as Houthis launch counterattacks
Houthi forces report heavy civilian casualties in Sanaa province while targeting Aramco facilities and Riyadh airport in retaliation.
By Hassan Ellis ·
At least 27 people, including many women and children, were killed in air strikes on the village of Al-Shariya in Yemen's Sanaa province on Saturday, according to the Houthi movement. The Houthi-run health ministry told the Saba news agency that 36 others were wounded in the attacks near the capital. Rescuers were still clearing rubble and searching for survivors hours after the bombardment ended. Saba reported that warplanes struck paramedics twice while they worked on the scene.
The Houthis said they conducted six missile and drone operations against Saudi targets in response to the strikes. The group stated that the attacks hit locations inside Saudi Arabia and within Yemen. Named targets included Aramco oil facilities, Riyadh airport, and military positions on both sides of the border. The Saudi-led coalition confirmed it intercepted and destroyed one Houthi missile fired toward Riyadh province.
Yemeni government forces announced they had struck 875 Houthi sites and gatherings over several hours. The government described these actions as part of Operation Dawn of Yemen, an offensive aimed at retaking territory held by the Houthis, including Sanaa. This operation adds to the intensity of the conflict, which involves multiple fronts of simultaneous violence.
The strikes on Al-Shariya followed a deadly incident in Taiz province on Friday. An attack on a market there killed 30 people. The Houthis blamed Saudi air strikes for the death toll, while government forces accused the movement of firing a ballistic missile at the site. The two accounts remained in direct contradiction regarding the cause of the explosion.
The sequence of events highlights the complex dynamics of the war. Air strikes near the capital, cross-border missile attacks, and government offensives are occurring simultaneously. The market bombing in Taiz remains a point of dispute, with each side assigning blame to the other. These developments occurred within a 48-hour period, marking a sharp escalation in hostilities between the warring factions.
