Houthi Shelling Kills Dozens at Yemen Market as Saudi Coalition Intercepts 2 Missiles, 1 Drone Targeting Holy Cities
Yemeni authorities blame Houthi militia for deadly market attack in Taiz as Saudi air defenses intercept missiles aimed at Medina and a drone targeting Mecca.
Yemen's Defense Ministry says Houthi shelling of a popular market in Taiz province killed and wounded dozens of civilians, while the Saudi-led coalition intercepted multiple missiles and drones launched toward Saudi holy cities.
Local authorities in Taiz province have blamed the Houthi militia for shelling the Al-Hadara popular market in the Al-Waziyah district west of the province on Friday, killing and wounding civilians [281722]. Yemen's Ministry of Human Rights also blamed the Houthi militia for the attack on the market [281644]. The Defense Ministry said the attack killed and wounded dozens of civilians [280760].
The attack came as the Yemeni army claimed it recaptured several areas in Taiz province amid ongoing fighting [280760]. Yemen's armed forces announced Friday that they had recaptured large areas of Taiz province after battles with the Houthi militia on several fronts, causing losses in lives and equipment among Houthi ranks [281706].
In a separate development, the Arab Parliament strongly condemned the Houthi militia's attempt to launch a ballistic missile toward Medina and a drone toward Mecca, stating that these attacks pose a direct threat to Saudi Arabia's security and violate international law and the United Nations Charter [281718]. The Saudi-led coalition announced it intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired by the Houthi militia toward the Medina region [280281]. The coalition also reported intercepting and destroying a drone in the Mecca region, though it gave no further details [280643].
Yemen and Mauritania condemned repeated attempts by Houthi militias to target Medina with ballistic missiles, with both countries denouncing the attacks that threaten the holy city [281659].
The Saudi-led coalition also announced Saturday that it intercepted and destroyed a Houthi militia missile launched toward Saudi territory [281652].
The fighting has escalated as part of the "Dawn of Yemen" offensive. Yemeni forces announced that approximately 387 Houthi militia members were killed or wounded over the past 24 hours across multiple frontlines, with 96 vehicles, heavy weapons, and rocket launch platforms destroyed or damaged [281691]. The Giants Brigades said they destroyed three Houthi missile launch systems that were ready to fire, killing their crews [279359].