• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urges de-escalation and diplomacy in the Middle East as fighting intensifies in Yemen and between the Houthi group and Saudi Arabia.
• The spokesperson for US Central Command says that US advisers were supporting their Saudi partners.

Malaysia, Maldives and Bangladesh condemn Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia

As attacks on Saudi Arabia intensify, at least three additional countries on Wednesday have expressed support for the kingdom to protect itself and to condemn attacks from the Houthis.

• Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim took to X to encourage dialogue on the matters at hand and advised against “actions that could trigger escalating tensions in the region”.
• Mohamed Muizzu, president of the Maldives, said in a post on X that “any act that threatens the safety and sanctity of Islam’s holiest city is completely unacceptable” and called for “an immediate cessation of such attacks” to avoid further escalation.
• Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release issued on Facebook that “the safety and security of the Holy Sites must be fully respected and protected at all times”.

Saudi Arabia did not provide evidence showing that Mecca was attacked and where in the city.

Turkey's Defence Ministry condemns Houthi drone attack on Mecca

Turkey's Defence Ministry has condemned a Houthi drone attack on Mecca and is calling for an end to actions threatening regional stability.

The ministry said continued Houthi threats in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb were harming regional security, international maritime trade and global stability.

The Houthis have denied carrying out the attack.

US, Houthis make secret deal over Yemen war

Yemen’s Houthis have agreed to allow US shipping unfettered Red Sea access if Washington refrains from direct military involvement in the Saudi-led war.

That’s according to US reports, which say the two sides struck the deal amid a Houthi offensive along Yemen’s Red Sea coast.

Yemeni forces target Houthis as US rules out direct role

Fighting between Yemen’s internationally recognised government and the Houthis has intensified, with both sides reporting attacks across Marib, Taiz and Hodeidah.

Government forces said the Saudi-led coalition struck Houthi positions and equipment near the port city of Mocha, while its troops carried out drone attacks in northern Marib. The Houthis said Saudi forces launched 40 air strikes over 24 hours and claimed they responded by targeting an airbase in Khamis Mushait and an oil facility in Yanbu.

The group also claimed it shot down a Saudi F-15 over Marib.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has reportedly sought air defence support from France, the UK, Pakistan and Egypt as its interceptor stocks run low.

Saudi-led coalition air attacks target telecommunications towers in Yemen’s Taiz province

Saudi-led coalition warplanes have targeted three telecommunications towers in Yemen’s Taiz province, according to Houthi media.

The strikes hit the towers in the al-Dhukra and al-Houban areas of al-Ta’iziyah district and in the al-Rahidah area of Khadir district, according to the Houthi-run Al Masirah TV channel.

Saudi-led coalition air attacks kill one, injure another in Yemen’s Hajjah province

Saudi-led coalition air attacks have hit the Yemeni city of Abs, in the Hajjah province, according to the Houthi-run Al Masirah TV.

Two air attacks struck the area, resulting in one individual being killed, another injured, four cars destroyed and a house damaged.

Yemeni government forces attempting to stop Houthi advancements in Taiz

From Yousef Mawry, San'a

Many believe that government counteroffensives are delaying the Ansarullah Houthis’ advances but experts don’t think this is enough to prevent the Yemeni group from eventually taking over the city if there is no major counteroffensive from the internationally recognized Yemeni government. In order to do that they would need the help of Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia has been helping with the air strikes in western Taiz where the Ansarullah Houthis have been trying to gain more land. We have reports from there that Saudi air strikes targeted telecommunication towers, this is according to the Ansarullah Houthis. We also have reports that a Saudi air strike killed one civilian in Taiz and injured another.

The fighting is mostly taking place in Kahbub in Taiz. It is a strategic village, a mountainous area, and it is considered to have strategic military advantages because it overlooks the entirety of the vicinity where the Ansarullah Houthis are currently reinforcing.

In this part of the country, it’s all about gaining the strategic advantage, which for both sides, is about controlling the mountains. Whoever controls the mountains essentially controls the entirety of the area, especially near Bab al-Mandeb where there are heavy clashes being reported. For the most part, the frontlines are being reinforced for the Yemeni government with the Giants Brigades which are the vanguards of the Yemeni government. So far, they have been able to prevent the Houthis from gaining deeper territory near the city of Taiz, but if the conflict persists in this style of fighting, many experts believe it favours the Ansurallah Houthis.

Yemeni government forces battling Houthis in strategic Kahbub mountains, near Bab al-Mandeb

Yemeni government forces and the Houthis are still fighting on several fronts, including the strategic Kahbub mountains near Bab al-Mandeb.

The government’s “Homeland Shield” forces, with support from the “Giants Brigades,” thwarted an attempt by the Houthis to infiltrate the area and carry out a large-scale attack. They reportedly damaged equipment, captured two Houthi members, and shot down a Houthi drone.

Saudis may have to ‘swallow this bitter pill and go and talk with the Iranians’

The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are changing the strategic balance of power in the Gulf conflict, Professor of International History and Politics at the Geneva Graduate Institute Cyrus Schayegh has argued.

“They are the two most powerful Gulf countries. So, what they do matters,” Shayegh said.

He explained that the UAE announced stopping trade with Iran a couple of weeks ago, yet they shared “very warm relations” with the Iranian president during the BRICS meeting recently.

“They understand that they need to keep reaching out to Iran. So, they play both positions,” he said.

With regard to Saudi Arabia, Schayegh said that they are “trapped” as the US is not directly helping them during their conflict with the Houthis but the US is simultaneously “putting pressure on them to not agree to go down this negotiation route with Iran and Oman and the other Gulf countries”.

“This is a huge problem for the Saudis, and at some point they may decide that they simply have to, you know, distance themselves a bit more from the United States and really just swallow this bitter pill and go and talk with the Iranians,” Schayegh concluded.

Houthis move to capture strategic Kahbub mountains

The most prominent headline here in Yemen remains, up to this moment, the strategic Kahbub mountains, a pivotal and important front given that the strategic Kahbub range overlooks the Bab al-Mandeb strait, and the direct control that this large mountain chain provides over the strait and the strategic island of Mayyun.

The joint government forces there announced they had repelled Houthi attack attempts on this front, in which the Houthis, according to military sources, used various types of weapons and deployed many combat formations in an attempt to push further into the Kahbub mountains.

The government brigades announced the deaths of a number of Houthi fighters, as well as injuries to others, in strikes targeting their equipment, personnel and gatherings around the front. They also said they had shot down a drone flying over the airspace of the mountains.

This coincided with their repelling of a Houthi infiltration attempt; National Shield forces said they had managed to repel and foil it on the al-Mudaraba front, with support from the Southern Giants Brigades, and said they had captured two Houthi fighters and wounded others.

Saudi Arabia’s alternative oil routes

Saudi exports are built around two coastal passages – the Gulf in the east, where crude moves out through the Strait of Hormuz, and the Red Sea in the west, where it can travel either north through the Suez Canal and the Sumed Pipeline, or south through the Bab al-Mandeb strait.

Before the crisis, most Saudi crude left on ships through the Strait of Hormuz, the 39km (24-mile) shipping choke point connecting the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, and the open sea beyond.

Saudi Arabia was exporting about 7-8 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil, with most seaborne volumes loading at the terminals of Ras Tanura and Ras al-Ju’aymah, and the former averaging about 5.4 million bpd in 2025.

The route is the most direct and economical way to reach Asia, which buys the bulk of Saudi crude exports.

Yemeni government forces claim Houthis suffering casualties during clashes

Sudi-backed government forces are claiming that the Ansarullah Houthis have suffered a lot of casualties in the clashes that are occurring on a number of fronts, mainly in western Taiz and also in Kahbub, which is a mountainous area with strategic importance as it overlooks Bab al-Mandeb.

The government forces are saying they’re launching a number of military operations against Houthi positions in Taiz. They’re also saying that they foiled many attempts by the Yemeni group to infiltrate Yemeni government positions and this is occurring in the vicinity of Bab al-Mandeb. The area is under the control of the Houthis, however, government forces are still launching a number of operations.

They’re sending brigade after brigade and they’re being cautious but precise in their military operations, they say. It’s not a face-to-face encounter; this is not going to be something that a conventional army is going to be fighting.

".. they foiled many attempts by the Yemeni group to infiltrate Yemeni government positions .."

Since the day when the Saudi-backed government reignited the war by bombarding Sana'a International Airport, we have not find any claim by this government, that the Houthis were trying to infiltrate.

Commanders of Yemeni government forces visiting front-line positions to boost morale

Yemen’s Foreign Ministry has warned against the reassuring messages sent by the Houthis to the international community. It said these messages were an attempt to buy time and strengthen the Houthis’ advance towards, and tighter control over, the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. This may also explain Houthi military movements towards the strategic Kahbub mountains, in an attempt to secure the territory they have taken and perhaps advance further towards the southern areas or cities.

On the southern rural fronts, which are also pivotal and important at this time, there are intermittent clashes between government forces and the Houthi group. Government forces say they have repelled the Houthis’ most intense offensive operation on this axis, specifically in the areas of Ghayl Bani Omar and al-Ajram.

The commanders of the Tur al-Bahah axis and the Taiz military axis carried out a visit to front-line positions on the joint fronts in order to boost morale and refute any Houthi rumors or claims that they had made a breakthrough on this front.

Pakistan’s defence minister says time has come to implement Mecca pact following Houthi attacks

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif says the time has come to implement the Mecca agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkey due to recent Houthi attacks.

During an interview with Pakistani TV channel Geo News, Asif said Islamabad remains committed to protecting Saudi Arabia and its holy sites, adding that even without an agreement, it was a duty to protect them.

He said Pakistan had conveyed Saudi Arabia’s message to Iran amid concerns about attacks by Houthi forces on it.

“I don’t think Iran as a state will open another front,” Asif said, adding that they were already involved in a conflict in the region.

The minister added that Pakistan would continue efforts to prevent the conflict from expanding.

One person killed and two injured following drone interception in Saudi Arabia’s Taif: State TV

One person was killed and two others injured in a drone interception in Saudi Arabia’s southwestern governorate of Taif, Saudi state TV says.

The person killed was a Yemeni resident, according to the report.

It is the first death announced in the kingdom this month since the Iran-backed Houthis in neighboring Yemen intensified their attacks on Saudi Arabia.

Falling shrapnel from intercepted drone in Taif also damaged buildings, vehicles: Saudi civil defense

Further to our earlier report, Saudi Arabia’s civil defence has confirmed that one person in Taif governorate was killed and two others injured by shrapnel from a downed drone, following earlier reports of the casualties by Saudi state TV.

The falling shrapnel also damaged several buildings and vehicles, said the agency.

China reportedly urged Iran to rein in Houthis after Saudi Arabia request

China ⁠has privately asked Iranian officials to help rein in Yemen’s ⁠Houthis after Saudi Arabia appealed to Beijing following recent Houthi attacks, Reuters has reported, citing three anonymous Iranian sources.

Beijing publicly called for restraint, dialogue and the restoration of safe navigation, but its private message went further than that, the sources said.

China asked Iran to use its influence with the Houthis to help prevent disruptions to energy routes on which China depends.

The sources did not provide details of ⁠how the message was delivered or whether it was conveyed during a visit to China on Wednesday by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

The sources said Tehran’s response was that stability and peace in the region depend on ending the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Houthi leader blames ‘Saudi aggression’ for latest escalation

Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi has delivered an address discussing the escalating conflict in Yemen.

Al-Houthi accused Saudi Arabia of “perpetrating a siege” against Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen with US support.

He said Saudi Arabia has failed to alter its “aggressive policies” which are aimed at causing instability within Yemen.

Houthi leader says group acting defensively against ‘unjust aggression’

Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi says the Houthis did not initiate the conflict against Saudi-backed forces and are responding defensively.

He said the latest escalation in the conflict was sparked by Saudi attacks on Yemen’s Sanaa International Airport.

“The Saudi regime was the unjust perpetrator of this aggression,” he said, adding that the Saudi government continues to “impose its siege and harass our people”.

Saudis had given their ally in Yemen intelligence about an Iranian passenger plane with an Ansarullah Houthi delegation, that was returning from the funeral of Khamenei, who was assassinated by Israel.

Reports from that day are saying that Yemeni fighter jets bombed the Sana'a Int. Airport to prevent the plane from landing. The Houthis, however, blamed Saudi Arabia. But, if we look at which fighter jets are currently used against the Houthis, they are Saudi fighter jets.

Houthi leader calls Saudi claims about Mecca drone attack ‘an ugly lie’

Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi has denied Saudi claims that the Houthis fired a drone towards the holy city of Mecca.

“Saudi Arabia is using its propaganda machine … the targeting of Mecca is an ugly lie,” al-Houthi said.

Saudi Arabia spreading ‘lies’ to justify attacks in Yemen, Houthi leader says

Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi has accused Saudi Arabia of using “propaganda and lies” to justify its attacks on Yemen.

“They try to justify and rationalize what they are perpetrating against our people,” he said. “Through this, they also aim to instigate and provoke others to rally support.”

He added that Saudi Arabia was using propaganda to compensate for military failures on the ground.

Houthi leader says group targeting Saudi military, oil infrastructure

Abdul Malik al-Houthi has said the group’s military operations are primarily targeting Saudi military sites and oil infrastructure, which he said the kingdom relies on for its revenues.

“We can’t accept oppression, enslavement and humiliation,” al-Houthi said.

Iran rejects accusations Houthis targeted Mecca, condemns any aggression against Islamic holy sites

Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has said that any aggression against Islamic holy sites, particularly Mecca, “is a condemned act”.

Baghaei added that “a mere claim” of intercepting a drone “en route to Mecca” is not enough to accuse the Houthis of the act.

The statement on X comes after Saudi Arabia said that a drone was launched by the Houthis towards Mecca, before it was intercepted and destroyed, on Tuesday evening. The Houthis have denied the claim.

Baghaei said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran emphasizes the necessity of preventing the politicisation of the issue of Islamic sanctities and their security, and of not using it as a tool to incite strife and escalate regional tensions.

“Nor should we forget that our region has witnessed numerous instances of ‘false flag’ operations, particularly in recent months, aimed at diverting public opinion from the crimes committed by the Zionist entity [Israel] and the United States in the region, and at sowing discord among Islamic countries.”

Houthis are suffering heavy blows, says Yemeni presidential council chairman

Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi says that Houthi forces are suffering heavy blows on the front lines in Taiz, Marib, Lahj, al-Jawf, Hajjah, al-Bayda and al-Dhale.

In a meeting with the French Ambassador to Yemen, Catherine Corm-Kammoun, al-Alimi said gains made by the Houthis along the Red Sea coast are temporary, the state-run Saba news agency reported.

“The state and its armed forces are fully capable of regaining the initiative on the west coast,” al-Alimi said.

The Iran-backed Houthis seized territories on Yemen’s Red Sea coast in a lightning advance. Government forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, have since fought to regain control of southwestern Yemen.

Houthi leader’s discourse ‘steeped in conspiratorial theories’

Security and intelligence analyst Nawaf Obaid has said the speech delivered by Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi was in line with the narrative that he has sought to present over the past years.

“Obviously, it’s very much steeped in conspiratorial theories, which is exactly what he’s been thriving on,” Obaid said.

The analyst also said that while al-Houthi has repeatedly pledged not to attack Mecca, drones were being sent towards the city and the wider region.

Houthi leader accuses Saudi Arabia of using Mecca ‘as a war banner’

From Yousef Mawry, Sana'a.

What the Houthi leader said is very critical especially to what’s happening in Yemen.

First off, he is accusing Saudi Arabia of using the holy city of Mecca, the Kaaba, and Muslim holy sites as a war banner to gain more support and to entice other nations to join Saudi Arabia’s military effort to attack the oppressed Yemeni people, according to the leader of the group.

He also mentioned that the US is currently operating in Saudi Arabia. He mentioned that 200 US personnel are currently in Saudi Arabia and that they are the ones for the most part who are orchestrating and coordinating the Saudi air strikes that have bombarded the areas that are under the control of the Houthis.

The air strikes over the past couple of days alone are over 450 Saudi strikes, which have targeted provinces from Marib and al-Jawf in the north to al-Bayda and Lahij in central and southern Yemen, and of course in western Taiz, where most of the clashes are taking place.

This is a speech that’s directed not just to the Yemeni people, it’s directed to the world to set the record straight that they did not target the holy city of Mecca as Saudi Arabia is claiming, and that Saudi Arabia has been engaged in this military effort for many years to oppress the people and deprive the Yemenis from their rights of sovereignty, independence and free will to establish a Yemeni government that represent the demands of the Yemeni people.

Yemeni government army claims attacks on Houthis in Taiz, Mocha

The Yemeni government’s army says it targeted Houthi supplies and military positions in Taiz and Mocha in southwestern Yemen.

‘War of words’ erupts between Saudi Arabia, Houthis in wake of alleged Mecca attack

Both Saudi Arabia and the Houthis are competing for sympathy among Muslim audiences, with rhetoric that has become a “war of words” aimed less at each other than at the broader Islamic world, according to Mohamad Elmasry, professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies.

Elmasry said Saudi Arabia is trying to rally support from other Muslim governments and armies by framing recent incidents, including a Houthi drone attack reportedly foiled near Mecca, as Houthi aggression toward Islam’s holiest sites. The Houthis, he said, have responded by accusing Saudi Arabia of aligning with the US rather than supporting “oppressed Muslims” in Palestine and elsewhere.

Elmasry added that the Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi’s address traced the conflict’s origins to the 2015 Saudi intervention in Yemen and a Saudi strike on an airport in July, positioning Saudi Arabia as the aggressor and the Houthis as exercising self-defence.

On the economic front, Elmasry said Saudi Arabia is “in a lot of trouble” given that roughly 75 percent of its oil exports are shipped to Asia via the Strait of Hormuz. After the strait closed, Saudi Arabia rerouted oil through its East-West pipeline to the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait until that route was also disrupted, forcing a path around Africa with higher costs for Asian buyers.

Estimating that the key pipeline will be offline for three to five weeks, Elmasry said Riyadh is seeking foreign help but that no country had yet offered concrete aid.

Houthi-backed media reports four people killed by Saudi, Yemeni government air raids

The Houthi-affiliated al-Masirah news channel has reported several deadly attacks by Yemen’s Saudi-backed government and Saudi forces.

Al-Masirah said three children were killed in strikes in al-Wazi’iyah district by “Saudi-backed mercenaries”, a reference to Yemen’s Saudi-backed government.

Earlier, the outlet reported that several raids by “Saudi enemy warplanes” in the city of Abs, located in the north-western Hajjah governorate, killed one person and injured another.

Tanker pursued by skiff east of Yemen’s Aden: UKMTO

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) says it has received a report of a tanker being pursued by a skiff that attempted to intercept it about 75 nautical miles (139kms) east of Yemen’s port city of Aden.

In a notice on X, UKMTO said “a tanker travelling westbound has reported that a skiff has pursued and attempted to intercept the vessel.”

UKMTO said authorities are investigating the incident and advised vessels in the area to exercise caution.

WHO chief says fighting in Yemen pushing health system towards ‘collapse’

The director-general of the World Health Organization has warned that the resumption of hostilities in Yemen is “pushing an already fragile health system closer to collapse”.

“Nearly 20 million people need health assistance, while outbreaks of cholera, measles, polio and dengue, as well as malnutrition, threaten more lives,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on X.

“Peace is the best medicine,” he added.

Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia ‘not acceptable’: Analyst

Saudi-based academic and political analyst Khaled Batarfi has said Riyadh resisted responding to Houthi attacks until the Yemeni group attacked civilian targets including Mecca and Medina.

“That was not acceptable,” Batarfi said.

The analyst said Saudi Arabia cannot be expected to act alone but that other countries in Europe and Asia must respond to Houthi attacks disrupting marine traffic in the Strait of Bab al-Mandab.

“They have to carry their responsibility and some countries have begun condemning the Houthis and offering support,” he added.

Saudis had given their ally in Yemen intelligence about an Iranian passenger plane with an Ansarullah Houthi delegation, that was returning from the funeral of Khamenei, who was assassinated by Israel.

Reports from that day are saying that Yemeni fighter jets bombed the Sana'a Int. Airport to prevent the plane from landing. The Houthis, however, blamed Saudi Arabia. But, if we look at which fighter jets are currently used against the Houthis, they are Saudi fighter jets.

This event inflicted the current war.

EU urges Houthis to ‘cease all military action’

EU foreign affairs spokesman Anouar El Anouni has said the bloc denounces the Houthis’ military campaign in Yemen and attacks against Saudi Arabia, including an attack Riyadh says targeted the holy city of Mecca.

“Houthi attacks undermine prospects for a non-military solution of the conflict in Yemen and further undermine regional security. We urge the Houthis to cease all military action,” said El Anouni, adding that the EU stands in “full solidarity with Saudi Arabia”.

Yemeni government forces trying to ‘regain foothold’ in al-Wazi’iyah district

Yemeni government forces, with Saudi aerial support, are trying to regain a foothold in the strategic mountainous district of al-Wazi’iyah in the Taiz governorate. You simply cannot recapture Bab al-Mandeb or recover the city of Mocha if al-Wazi’iyah is still under Houthi control.

In fact, Mocha did not fall to the Houthis until after they were able to take over al-Wazi’iyah district. And this is precisely where the Houthis took military positions afterwards.

World Food Program says 125,000 displaced by Yemen fighting

The UN World Food Program (WFP) says fighting along Yemen’s Red Sea coast has displaced an estimated 125,000 people.

That number is expected to rise as much of the population of southwestern Yemen struggles to access food and basic services on their way towards Aden, al-Maafer and other safer areas, the WFP statement added.

“WFP has already provided food assistance to 45,000 people and is preparing to assist an additional 1.5 million people if the conflict intensifies.”

The UN agency said its premises in Mocha were breached in the fighting and at least 49 food distribution points are inaccessible.

The Iran-backed Houthis have captured territories along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, including Mocha, and are being targeted by government and allied forces attempting to repel their rapid advance.

Yemeni government army says Houthi artillery destroyed near Marib

The Yemeni government’s army has said a joint operation by its sniper and artillery units destroyed a Houthi vehicle and a 106mm anti-tank weapon west of Marib in central Yemen.

Italy prepares possible naval mission amid threats to shipping: Defense minister 

Italy is preparing for a potential naval mission to protect Italian vessels, the defense minister said without elaborating, as security concerns grow over shipping in the Bab al-Mandeb strait astride Yemen, and Iran continues to curtail navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

“I have decided … to activate the Italian navy to prepare what is necessary to guarantee the safe transit of Italian ships,” Guido Crosetto said in a statement, without specifying what measures were being considered or which naval assets might be dispatched.

Fears of disruptions in the Red Sea have grown since the Iran-aligned Houthis took control of parts of Yemen’s coast by the ‌Bab al-Mandeb strait and threatened to block Saudi exports.

Kuwait and Bahrain condemn Houthi targeting of Saudi Arabia’s Taif province

Kuwait has expressed its condemnation and strong denunciation following the Houthi attacks on Taif province.

In a post on X, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed its “absolute solidarity with the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its standing by its side, and its support for all measures it takes to preserve its sovereignty, security, stability, and the protection of its citizens”.

Bahrain also said it “strongly condemns the continuation of Houthi terrorist attacks on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the targeting of civilians in Taif Governorate”.

Qatar condemns drone attack on Saudi Arabia’s Taif governorate

Qatar has denounced what it described as the Houthis’ “targeting” of Saudi Arabia’s Taif governorate, after Saudi authorities reported that shrapnel from a downed Houthi drone there killed one person and injured two others.

In a statement, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the alleged Houthi attack constitutes “reprehensible aggressive behaviour, an unacceptable disregard for civilian lives, a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a clear breach of the rules of international law.”

The Qatari ministry expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and said it backed all legitimate measures to protect its security and territorial integrity.

Humanitarian situation in Yemen is deteriorating, civilian casualties rise: UN spokesperson

Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, has warned that the humanitarian situation in Yemen continues to worsen as hostilities spread.

Dujarric said the UN Human Rights Office verified 55 civilian casualties from 19 incidents in the governorates of Taiz, Hodeidah, Marib and Lahj since the beginning of the month, but said the actual toll was likely to be much higher.

Among them, 16 people were killed, including 10 children, he added, saying that restrictions to access, funding shortages and security incidents involving humanitarian premises were hindering the international response.