Sanaa: At least 11 people were killed in airstrikes near the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, on Saturday. Al-Masirah TV, controlled by Houthi rebels, blamed Saudi Arabian warplanes for the attacks. The attacks come amid rising tensions in war-torn Yemen.
According to Al-Masirah TV, five residential houses were completely destroyed in airstrikes in the village of Ash Shariyah in the Bani Hushaysh district, east of Sanaa. The victims included women and children.
The head of the district’s health office told the channel that rescue teams have recovered 11 bodies from the rubble so far. He added that the death toll is expected to rise as relief and rescue operations are ongoing, Xinhua reported.
Rescue team also targeted
Al-Masirah TV claimed that Saudi fighter jets carried out two more airstrikes targeting rescue workers. Roads leading to the village were also attacked. According to the channel, military aircraft were continuously flying over the area.
However, these strikes could not be independently confirmed, and there was no immediate response from the Saudi-led coalition.
A local resident told Xinhua that fighter jets were seen circling over Sanaa during the day, following several airstrikes in the capital.
Violence escalates a day after market attack in Taiz
These airstrikes come a day after an attack on a crowded market in Yemen’s southwestern Taiz province killed at least 30 people and injured eight others. Houthi rebels and government officials have blamed each other for the incident.
The conflict between Houthi rebels and government forces supported by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen continues to intensify. Along with airstrikes in various parts of the country, Houthi rebels have also claimed missile and drone attacks within Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia claims to have shot down three drones
On Wednesday, the Saudi-led coalition claimed that its forces intercepted and destroyed three drones targeting Saudi territory. One of these drones was intercepted over the western region of Mecca.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi group claimed to have carried out drone and ballistic missile attacks targeting an airport and airbase in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki stated on the social media platform X that his forces intercepted and destroyed a drone over the Mecca area. However, he did not provide further details.
He later added that two other drones were also intercepted and destroyed. One of these was in the Eastern Province, while the other was moving towards the southern region of Saudi Arabia.