Houthis launch major attack on Saudi-aligned forces in eastern Yemen

Published Aug 6, 08:42 PM UTC

The Houthi rebels in Yemen have carried out one of their largest attacks in years against Saudi-aligned forces in the eastern provinces of Marib and Hadhramaut. The assault, which involved ballistic missiles and drones, targeted camps and military units of the Yemen Emergency Forces, which are funded and supported by Saudi Arabia. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree claimed hundreds of enemy troops were killed or injured, while Yemeni government officials reported at least 30 deaths. The attack marks a significant escalation in the largely dormant conflict and coincides with the Houthis' expanding campaign against Saudi shipping in the Red Sea. The U.S. Embassy in Yemen condemned the attack as terrorism, and the Yemeni Defense Ministry vowed a response. The civil war, which began in 2014, has drawn in a Saudi-led coalition and remains a major humanitarian crisis.