Houthis Claim Responsibility for Attacks on Riyadh

Yemen's Houthi rebel movement has claimed responsibility for attacks on the Saudi capital, Riyadh. According to Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarea, the strikes were a response to "criminal attempts by the Saudi enemy to attack the capital Sanaa," which is controlled by the Iran-backed rebels.

Saudi authorities have not yet commented on the incident, although the kingdom has faced increasingly intense Houthi attacks in recent days. According to AFP, Riyadh authorities issued a warning about the threat of air strikes on the city on Wednesday morning, and several explosions were reported in the capital itself. This marks the first time since the renewed civil war in Yemen flared up that the threat has directly reached the Saudi capital.

Houthi Offensive and the Shifting Front Lines

In September, the Houthis launched a large-scale offensive that brought vast swaths of Yemeni territory under their control. In recent weeks, the rebels have continued to strike both Saudi Arabia itself and the coalition it leads in support of Yemen's internationally recognized government — with attacks now also hitting territories held by the Houthis themselves.

The Houthis are backed by Iran and control northwestern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa and most of the Red Sea coastline. The rebels have held the capital since 2015, when they drove out the internationally recognized government. Following prolonged fighting, the Houthis agreed to a truce with the Saudi-backed military coalition in 2022. However, according to AP, the new Houthi offensive has plunged Yemen back into a state of civil war.

Source: novinky.cz