Reports say Saudi strike near Sanaa killed at least 25 people

At least 25 people have reportedly been killed in Saudi-led airstrikes near Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, according to media and officials linked to the Houthi movement. Sky News, citing a Houthi-run health ministry spokesman, put the death toll at 27 and said 36 others were wounded. The BBC reported that the strikes hit al-Shariyah, a town east of Sanaa, while Sky News described the target area as homes in a village near the capital.

Houthi television channel Al Masirah showed rescuers removing bodies from collapsed buildings and injured people being taken to hospital. The reports said women and children were among the dead or wounded. The Houthi-run Saba news agency attributed the attack to Saudi Arabia.

There was no immediate comment from the Saudi-led coalition, which supports Yemen’s internationally recognised government. The differing casualty figures reflect the early and contested nature of the reports. The BBC cited at least 25 deaths, while Sky News quoted the Houthi health ministry spokesman’s figure of 27 deaths and 36 injuries.

Neither report supplied an independent verification of the toll. The strike occurred as Yemen’s dormant conflict reignited in the context of the wider war involving Iran. The BBC reported that a truce began to break down after Saudi Arabia struck Sanaa airport to prevent an Iranian-planned flight from landing there.

The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, subsequently targeted Abha airport in Saudi Arabia and began attacking Saudi ships using the Red Sea as an alternative oil-export route to the Strait of Hormuz. Major fighting has since resumed between the Houthis and forces aligned with the Saudi-backed government. Hours before the reported strike near Sanaa, the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted a missile heading towards Riyadh.

The BBC said Saudi Arabia has continued bombing Houthi positions, while the Houthis have launched missiles at targets in Saudi Arabia, including airports and oil facilities. The latest escalation follows another disputed attack in Taiz province on Friday. The Houthis said Saudi forces were responsible for a strike on a market that reportedly killed 30 people, while government forces said the site had been hit by a Houthi missile.

That account, like the Sanaa strike, remains contested in the supplied reports. The United Nations estimates that more than 1,600 people have been killed and more than 300,000 displaced since fighting resumed. Houthi leader Mahdi al-Mashat has vowed retaliation for the latest attacks, raising the prospect of further escalation, although the reports provide no details of any subsequent operation.