Houthis launch new attacks on al-Makha and Marib as Yemen conflict escalates

What the report says

Houthi forces launched fresh missile and drone attacks on Yemen’s Marib city and the Red Sea port of al-Makha overnight, according to Al Jazeera’s reporting based on local media, state media and officials in government-controlled areas. The strikes killed at least four people and injured eight, adding to a new round of violence in a conflict that has seen a recent uptick after a relatively calm period since 2022.

In al-Makha, an attack hit the city’s outskirts and another struck a main road, while port operations were already paused after several days of earlier strikes, Al Jazeera reported. In Marib, government media said six ballistic missiles and four drones targeted residential neighbourhoods, causing injuries and damage to homes and civilian infrastructure. The report said local officials also identified wounds and destruction in other parts of the affected areas.

The escalation comes as the Yemen war, now in its second decade, continues between Houthi forces and the internationally recognised government. The Houthis have controlled Sanaa and other areas since 2014. Al Jazeera also reported that Yemeni military forces carried out operations against Houthi positions in several governorates, while the Houthis said four of their members were killed without giving more detail. The renewed fighting matters because Marib remains strategically important and al-Makha is a key port on the Red Sea coast.