KABUL: Fighting between Yemen’s Houthi movement and Saudi-backed forces has intensified, with the two sides reporting renewed military activity along Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
The Houthis said Saudi warplanes had carried out heavy airstrikes on positions in Yemen, while Houthi forces responded by launching several missiles and drones toward Saudi cities.
The group also said its forces had advanced along the Red Sea coast in recent days and captured several islands near the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait.
The Houthis released footage overnight purporting to show their fighters capturing armored vehicles belonging to Saudi-backed forces.
Reuters has reported that the escalation has coincided with growing security concerns in Saudi Arabia. The U.S. State Department currently restricts U.S. government employees in Saudi Arabia from traveling within 20 miles of the Yemen border because of security risks.
The latest escalation follows recent Houthi territorial gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coast toward the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key international shipping route.