Houthi attacks kill dozens of troops in Yemen, wound civilians in Saudi Arabia

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis killed at least 58 government troops in missile and drone attacks on Thursday, a military source said, in one of the deadliest days of the country’s civil war in four years.

The attacks come as Yemen is increasingly drawn into the US-Israeli war with Iran, with the rebels stepping up attacks against both government forces and neighbouring Saudi Arabia, a key US ally and supporter of the internationally recognised Yemeni government.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the rebels attacked government positions with ballistic missiles and drones in response to an alleged military build-up backed by neighbouring Saudi Arabia.

The attacks killed at least 58 government troops and injured dozens, according to the military source who spoke on condition of anonymity. Medical sources had earlier spoken of 38 dead.

Yemen has become a new front in the Middle East war that has grown around the US-Israeli battle against Iran.

A military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Thursday’s attacks on troop camps were the worst in Yemen since 2022.