Yemen fighting intensifies as death toll tops 270

SANAA: Fighting in Yemen has intensified sharply, with more than 270 government troops and Houthi fighters reportedly killed in the past 24 hours.

Sources from both sides said at least 115 government troops were killed, while Houthi sources claimed 160 of their fighters had died. Dozens of people were also reported wounded in the latest clashes.

The violence has centred on southwestern Yemen, particularly areas near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key route for global energy and maritime trade.

The internationally recognised Yemeni government launched a major counter-offensive after Houthi forces seized large areas along the Red Sea coast last month. Government forces claimed progress on several fronts, while Houthi officials denied losing control of the territory they had captured.

The Houthis also claimed responsibility for attacks targeting Saudi Arabia. The group said it had struck Riyadh’s main airport and an oil refinery operated by Saudi Aramco.

Several explosions were heard in Riyadh on Monday and Tuesday. Saudi authorities did not confirm that the capital’s airport had been directly attacked. However, the civil aviation authority said three people were wounded in attacks on airports in Jazan and Najran near the Yemeni border.

Saudi-led forces said they intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched towards Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed the group remained in control of its recent territorial gains. He also said Houthi forces had launched attacks against government positions in Al-Jawf, Marib and Taiz.

The conflict has also caused heavy civilian suffering. The Houthi health ministry said a Saudi airstrike killed six members of one family, including four children, in Hajjah province near the Saudi border.

The city of Mocha has become one of the major flashpoints. Residents who fled the area described severe disruption, with movement largely halted because of the fighting.

Yemen’s government has vowed to recover territory held by the Houthis. The renewed conflict has opened another front in the wider regional war and has triggered a fresh humanitarian crisis.

The United Nations estimates that more than 184,000 people have been displaced by the latest fighting. The UN has expressed serious concern over the rapid escalation and condemned cross-border Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Ulema Council Chairman Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi has urged Pakistanis living in Saudi Arabia to remain cautious. He advised them not to share videos or photographs of missile and drone attacks, interception operations, military sites or other sensitive locations.

Ashrafi also urged Pakistanis to follow Saudi laws and official instructions, avoid spreading rumours and rely on verified government sources for security-related information.