Five killed as Yemen's Houthis, govt, Saudi Arabia trade strikes

Attacks attributed to Yemen's Houthis, the Yemeni government and Saudi Arabia killed at least five people on Thursday, as fighting rocked the Arabian Peninsula. The violence followed lightning gains by the Iran-backed Houthis in a fresh offensive, days after Saudi Arabia accused the group of firing at the holy city of Mecca.

What happened between the Houthis, Yemen and Saudi Arabia this week?

Attacks by Yemen's Houthis, the internationally recognized government and Saudi forces killed five people on Thursday alone. The Houthis reported strikes on telecommunications towers and a civilian death in Taiz province, while Saudi Arabia reported its first fatality since the fighting flared, caused by debris from an intercepted Houthi drone near Mecca.

What did the Houthis and Saudi Arabia report on Thursday?

The Houthis said Saudi warplanes hit three telecommunications towers in Taiz province, killing one civilian and injuring another in the town of Abs. A Houthi-backed outlet separately reported three children killed and several Yemenis injured in strikes by Saudi-backed government forces. Saudi Arabia's civil defense agency said shrapnel from a downed Houthi drone killed one person and injured two others in Taif governorate, damaging nearby buildings and vehicles.

Why did Saudi Arabia accuse the Houthis of targeting Mecca?

The incidents came a day after Riyadh accused the Houthis of launching a "cowardly" attack targeting Mecca, Islam's holiest city, a claim the group denied. The Houthis have reported dozens of daily Saudi strikes since launching their offensive and seizing coastal areas overlooking the Red Sea's Bab al-Mandab Strait. Their gains have tightened control over a second major Gulf shipping corridor, alongside Iran's ongoing pressure on the Strait of Hormuz.

What triggered the collapse of the Houthi-Saudi truce?

A fragile 2022 truce between the Houthis and Yemen's government collapsed in July after the group allowed an Iranian plane to land in Sanaa, defying Riyadh's control over Yemeni airspace. The Houthis then declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and began striking its ships and territory. The renewed conflict has forced more than 100,000 people from their homes, according to the United Nations.