Yemen army claims 700 Houthis killed in intense strikes

Yemen's armed forces reported launching hundreds of strikes against Houthi targets, killing or wounding 700 Houthi fighters within 24 hours, according to Al Jazeera, يمن مونيتور, and Samaa TV. France 24 and Reuters reported that Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for targeting an oil facility belonging to Saudi Aramco south of Riyadh using missiles and drones. Flames and a large plume of smoke were seen rising from the Saudi energy plant following the attack. [1][2][3][4][6][7]

Cross-border accusations over the military escalation varied across reports. France 24 reported that the Houthis accused Saudi forces of conducting 26 strikes on the Yemeni capital of Sanaa on Saturday. A separate claim noted by r/worldnews indicated the Houthis reported over 90 Saudi attacks within a 24-hour window. [3][5]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, Saudi authorities and Aramco have not confirmed the Houthi strike on the Riyadh facility. Fighting in the region has escalated since 3 September 2026, when the Houthis launched an offensive against the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council, prompting counter-offensives across the Al-Jawf and Al-Bayda governorates. [8][12]

The ongoing Yemeni civil war originally erupted in 2014 when Iran-backed Houthi rebels captured Sanaa and dissolved the government. The current clashes mark a further intensification of the longstanding conflict involving Yemeni government forces, Houthi rebels, and Saudi-led military operations. [10][11]