Houthi missile and drone attacks kill dozens of Yemeni government troops

At least 38 members of Yemen's government forces were killed and 29 others were wounded in missile and drone attacks carried out by Houthis on Thursday, according to AFP.

The attack marked the deadliest assault on forces of Yemen's internationally recognised government since the 2022 United Nations-brokered truce, military officials have said.

The Houthis said the attacks were in retaliation for the "Saudi-backed military buildup", as Yemen's long-running conflict shows signs of intensifying alongside the broader US-Iran confrontation.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group targeted government military positions with ballistic missiles and drones, naming al-Ruwaik, al-Thaniyah and al-Abr as among the areas struck.

"We are prepared to confront any escalation," Saree said.

Two medical sources told AFP that at least 38 government troops were killed and 29 others injured in the attacks.

According to the report, one missile struck troops during their morning formation at a military camp in the al-Ruwaik area of Marib province, killing and wounding at least 45 personnel.

Other attacks targeted military camps in al-Abr and al-Wadiah in Hadramawt province near the border with Saudi Arabia, AFP quoted military sources as saying.

Yemen's defence ministry condemned the attacks and said in a statement that its armed forces "will respond to the missile and drone attacks at the appropriate place and time".

Renewed conflict

The Houthis have stepped up military operations since the outbreak of the US-Iran war earlier this year, ending a period of relative calm that followed the 2022 UN-brokered truce between the group and the Saudi-backed government.

The renewed hostilities escalated after the Houthis declared the end of the country's de-escalation phase on 12 July, alleging that Saudi Arabia carried out air strikes on Sanaa International Airport as the group received an Iranian aircraft in the capital, Sanaa.

Following the development, the group announced a maritime blockade of Saudi ports and launched attacks on Saudi-linked shipping, according to previous statements by the group.

Saudi Arabia has utilised Bab el-Mandeb as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has blocked to US-allied vessels since March, following the launch of the US-Israeli war on Iran on 28 February.

Last month, the Houthis killed 16 government-aligned troops in an attack south of the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, according to AFP reports.

The Houthis have been fighting Yemen's government since seizing the capital, Sanaa, in 2014. The conflict has killed hundreds of thousands of people and triggered one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

The group controls Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, while the government holds large areas in the south. The front lines had remained largely static following the 2022 truce, despite its formal expiry.