A Saudi-led coalition has vowed a firm response after a wave of attacks launched by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels early Tuesday wounded at least 73 civilians, including women and children, according to coalition officials.
The attacks add to longstanding tensions between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition, which intervened in Yemen’s civil war in 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government against the Iran-aligned rebel movement.
The conflict has its roots in Yemen’s political turmoil following the 2011 uprising that forced longtime President Ali Abdullah Saleh from power. The Houthis seized control of Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014, prompting the Saudi-led military intervention the following year.
The war has since contributed to one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, with civilians bearing much of the impact. Efforts by the United Nations and regional mediators have produced periods of relative calm, but the conflict remains unresolved.
The latest attacks threaten to further strain regional security and revive concerns that Yemen could once again become a major flashpoint in the broader confrontation between Saudi Arabia and Iran and their respective allies.
Coalition officials said they would respond decisively while emphasizing the need to protect civilians. Independent details about the attacks, including the full extent of the damage and casualties, were not immediately available.
