Houthi Spokesperson Warns of Retaliation After Massive Saudi Air Campaign

Sana – The Houthi movement’s military spokesperson Yahya Saria warned on Tuesday that the group would answer the recent wave of Saudi air operations that, according to Houthi statements, involved 52 strikes by F‑15 and Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft over a 24‑hour period.

Saria specified that the strikes were launched from Saudi bases in Khamis Mushait and Taif and hit five Yemeni provinces: Taiz in the southwest, Al‑Jawf to the north, Al‑Bayda in the centre, and the northern districts of Saada and Amran. He alleged that the bombing campaign targeted schools, bridges, roads and other civilian infrastructure, calling the attacks a violation of international law.

Al‑Masirah TV, the Houthis’ own channel, reported that the raids on Taiz’s Dhubab and Makbanah districts resulted in three civilian deaths, including two children, and two injuries. An additional strike on a government facility in the Khedir district of southeast Taiz also caused casualties, though the channel offered no further detail.

The Saudi‑led coalition, which has been conducting air operations against Houthi positions since its March 2015 intervention, has not issued an immediate comment. The air raids followed a series of Houthi‑launched missile and drone attacks on the Saudi cities of Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif on Monday, attacks that the coalition said injured 13 civilians and promised a "responsible and strict" response.

The heightened fighting occurs as the Houthis continue a fresh offensive that began on 3 September, culminating in the seizure of the Red Sea port of Mokha on 10 September and the capture of Mayun Island in the Bab al‑Mandab strait on 11 September. The Yemeni war originally broke out in late 2014 when the Houthis took control of Sana’a and much of the north, prompting the Saudi‑backed coalition to intervene in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognised government.