Saudi Air Strikes Rock Yemen Capital Sanaa; Houthis Blame Aggression
The Story
Loud explosions were heard in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa on Saturday, as the Houthis reported air strikes in the area by Saudi forces.
An AFP journalist saw flames and smoke rising from an Aramco facility south of Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh on Saturday. One correspondent in Sanaa heard at least five blasts in different areas, and another saw two warplanes firing missiles on the city. Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah TV reported "Saudi aggression" against Sanaa and missile strikes on the telecommunications network in the northwestern governorate of Saada.
The Houthis claimed Saudi Arabia bombed Sanaa on Thursday night for the first time since renewed fighting broke out in July. The Saudi-led coalition earlier said it intercepted two ballistic missiles and four drones launched by the Houthis at Khamis Mushait and Jazan in southwestern Saudi Arabia. The Houthis claimed on Friday that Saudi forces launched 94 strikes against areas under their control in Yemen over the previous 24 hours.
Saudi Arabia is preparing for a possible military offensive against the Houthis in Yemen, with a limited operation to retake territory around the strategic Bab el-Mandeb strait or a broader assault across several fronts. Regional and Western officials stated the operation could begin in the coming weeks, led by Saudi-backed Yemeni forces on the ground and supported by Saudi airstrikes.
The United States is providing intelligence, including targeting information, to support Saudi operations, but US officials say they will not join the operation with airstrikes for now. More than 100,000 Yemeni troops could be mobilized depending on the scale of the operation. The Houthis seized control of the Bab el-Mandeb strait last month, giving them leverage over the shipping corridor connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
Saudi Arabia has concluded it cannot return to peace negotiations with the Houthis while the group controls Bab el-Mandeb. Yemen has been embroiled in more than a decade of civil war, pitting the Iran-backed Houthis against Yemen's internationally recognized government, backed by Saudi Arabia.
The Spread
The coverage 39 sources
- Center-LeftAl JazeeraA Yemeni family spends a week on the road fleeing another Houthi offensive (opens the publisher’s site)
- Center-LeftAl-MonitorPakistan says Mecca pact members to hold emergency talks on engaging Houthis (opens the publisher’s site)
- Center-LeftAxiosSaudis plan major offensive against the Houthis, but U.S. won't join for now (opens the publisher’s site)
- Center-LeftHaaretzSaudi Arabia planning assault on Houthis to break Red Sea chokehold (opens the publisher’s site)
- Center-LeftThe Express TribuneSaudi Arabia denies reports of suicide bomber at Grand Mosque in Makkah (opens the publisher’s site)
- Center-LeftThe Wire (India)Do the Houthis Now Hold the Shore, Beside the World’s Busiest Sea Lane? - TheWire.in (opens the publisher’s site)
- Center-LeftMiddle East EyePakistan sent four planeloads of weapons to Saudi-backed government in Yemen: Report (opens the publisher’s site)
- Center-LeftLos Angeles TimesNews Analysis: Saudi Arabia once counted on U.S. protection. Now it's pivoting to new alliances (opens the publisher’s site)
- CenterAsharq Al-AwsatSaudi Address: Stability, Deterrence, and Accelerating Economic Reforms (opens the publisher’s site)
- CenterBloombergSaudi Arabia Hikes Oil Flow on Key Pipeline to Over 80% Capacity - bloomberg.com (opens the publisher’s site)