Loud explosions in Yemen capital as Houthis report Saudi airstrikes

Loud explosions were heard in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Saturday, as the Houthis reported airstrikes by Saudi forces. One AFP correspondent heard at least five blasts in different areas.

The strikes come amid renewed civil war that began in July.

What are the recent explosions in Yemen?

Correspondents in Sanaa reported blasts across the city on Saturday. One heard at least five explosions in different areas, while another saw two warplanes firing missiles on the capital. The Houthis said Saudi forces carried out the strikes.

Al-Masirah TV, a Houthi-affiliated media outlet, reported "Saudi aggression" against the capital. It gave no details on the targets or casualties. The channel had earlier reported missile strikes on the telecommunications network in Saada governorate, a Houthi stronghold in the northwest.

Did Saudi Arabia attack Yemen?

The Houthis claimed Saudi Arabia bombed Sanaa on Thursday night for the first time since fighting resumed in July. They also said Saudi Arabia launched 94 strikes against areas under their control in the 24 hours to Friday. Saudi authorities reported that a Houthi projectile damaged a school in Najran, near the Yemen border.

Riyadh has reportedly asked the United States for help, a request US President Donald Trump has so far rebuffed. Axios reported on Saturday that top Trump administration cabinet members met the day before to discuss Yemen and the Iran conflict, citing three US officials. The meeting was not officially announced.

Why did fighting resume in Yemen?

Yemen was plunged back into civil war in July after several years of calm. The conflict pits the Houthis, who control most of northwest Yemen including Sanaa, against the internationally recognised government. That government is backed by Saudi Arabia and based in Aden, and it controls much of the south and east, a larger but less populated region.

Hostilities reignited after four years of a fragile truce when Iran sent a plane carrying a Houthi delegation to Sanaa. The flight did not seek authorization from Saudi Arabia, contravening a practice in place for a decade. Riyadh retaliated with strikes on Sanaa airport, and the Houthis responded by attacking Saudi territory for the first time since 2022.

What is happening in Taiz?

Fighting has intensified since July, with the Houthis launching a lightning offensive that saw them seize coastal regions along the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait. They have also struck multiple Saudi targets, including oil infrastructure and Riyadh, and announced a naval blockade on Saudi ships in the Red Sea.

Fighting in recent days has centred on Taiz, where sources on both sides reported 80 combatants dead on Friday. The Houthis said 55 of their fighters were killed, while government sources told AFP that 26 troops died. The battle is taking place on several fronts, including highlands overlooking the coastal areas recently seized by the Houthis.

The Houthis have yet to take control of Taiz city, which is Yemen's third-largest after Sanaa and Aden.