A Saudi airstrike on Taiz in southwestern Yemen has reportedly killed seven people and wounded 40 others, according to Houthi-run media, as fighting in the country intensifies.
Al-Masirah television, which is controlled by the Iran-aligned Houthis, reported that the strike hit a central marketplace in Taiz on Sunday.
The channel said the casualties were recorded after a Saudi fighter jet targeted the area.
There was no immediate independent confirmation of the reported death toll, while Saudi authorities had not publicly confirmed the alleged strike or casualties.
The reported attack comes amid a sharp escalation in fighting between Houthi forces and troops aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised government.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on Saturday that Saudi aircraft had carried out 27 strikes across Taiz, Marib, Saada, Amran, Ibb and Hajjah provinces.
Yemeni government-aligned forces also reported air operations against Houthi positions, reinforcements, supply routes and weapons depots in Taiz.
The renewed fighting has pushed Taiz back towards the centre of Yemen’s conflict. The city is largely controlled by forces loyal to the internationally recognised government and has remained one of the country’s key frontlines.
The escalation also extends beyond the battlefield.
Saudi Arabia said on Saturday that it had intercepted two Houthi drones heading towards Riyadh, while schools in the Saudi capital announced plans to switch to remote learning for a week. The schools did not publicly state a reason for the move.
The conflict has also raised concerns about shipping through the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s important maritime chokepoints.
The Houthis have expanded their control along Yemen’s Red Sea coast in recent fighting and have threatened Saudi interests in response to the renewed Saudi air campaign.
Yemen’s war began in 2014 after the Houthis seized Sanaa and expanded their control across large parts of the country. Saudi Arabia intervened militarily in 2015 at the head of a coalition supporting the internationally recognised government.
A UN-backed truce in 2022 substantially reduced fighting, although it did not produce a permanent political settlement.
The latest escalation has unfolded against a wider regional conflict involving Iran, Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern powers.
The renewed hostilities have already caused significant displacement. Reuters reported earlier this month that more than 100,000 Yemenis had been displaced as fighting intensified.
With Taiz again at the centre of military operations and Houthi attacks extending towards Saudi territory, the latest violence has raised fresh concerns about civilian casualties, displacement and disruption to vital regional shipping routes.
