Yemen: Fighting Escalates, Raising Fears of a Return to Full-Scale War
Al Jazeera Staff
Yemeni government forces and Houthi rebels have intensified attacks over the past day, raising fears of a return to all-out conflict. The Houthis also claimed drone strikes on Saudi Arabia, while UN officials urged restraint to avoid further suffering.
Over the past 24 hours, Yemeni government forces have launched dozens of strikes against Houthi rebel positions across the country, the latest sign that the possibility of Yemen returning to full-scale war is becoming increasingly evident.
Majed Abdullah al-Nuzaili, a spokesman for the government forces, said on Thursday (August 25) that his troops had carried out 81 attacks on Houthi positions, "neutralizing" a number of the rival's fighters and field commanders.
The same day, the Houthi rebels also claimed to have carried out two drone strikes on targets in Saudi Arabia's Najran province, which borders Yemen. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree asserted that the attacks "hit" a target at Najran airport and a facility of the oil giant Aramco in the province. There was no immediate confirmation from Saudi Arabia regarding these strikes.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which backs the Houthis, warned on the same day that Saudi Arabia would be "unable to contain" the Houthis as the rebel group escalates its attacks against the kingdom. The Houthis have repeatedly targeted Saudi infrastructure and vessels since announcing a blockade of the country's shipping routes in July.
The internationally recognized Yemeni government, based in Aden, also accused the Houthis of trying to impose a blockade on Yemen and obstruct its oil exports.
Over the past month, fighting in Yemen has intensified significantly. The government reports having conducted hundreds of operations against the Houthis, killing many of the group's fighters. Exchanges of fire and drone attacks have been recorded along nearly the entire previously frozen front line, though no large-scale offensive has been confirmed by either side.
Both sides have reported missile and drone attacks targeting civilian infrastructure deep behind the front lines, including ports and airports.
In 2014, the Houthis swept down to seize large parts of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, leading to years of conflict between the group and the government backed by a Saudi-led international coalition. In 2022, the two sides reached a UN-mediated ceasefire that largely paused hostilities in Yemen, but Thursday's attacks highlight the growing risk of a return to large-scale conflict.
According to the United Nations, at least 18 million people in Yemen lack adequate and regular access to food. On Monday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk urged both sides to "spare the Yemeni people further suffering" and to "immediately cease all actions that risk returning Yemen to all-out conflict."
Also on Thursday, the UK maritime security monitor reported that an oil tanker had been boarded by six armed individuals off the Yemeni coast and taken toward Somalia.
