Houthis target village in western Yemen with ballistic missile: Pro-gov’t forces

Sahin Demir

Yemen’s Houthi group targeted a village in western Yemen with a ballistic missile on Thursday, according to the pro-government Joint Forces.

The missile targeted a village near the city of Al-Khawkhah in Yemen’s western Hodeidah province, the Joint Forces said without providing information on possible casualties.

In a separate incident, the Houthis targeted Maghram al-Ras village in the western Taiz province with a guided missile on Wednesday afternoon, the Joint Forces said.

According to local sources, the missile struck a farm, causing panic among local residents.

The reported missile attack comes amid stepped-up fighting in recent days between the Houthis and Yemeni government-aligned forces in several parts of the country.

In 2014, the Iran-backed Houthis overran much of Yemen, including capital Sanaa.

This was followed by several years of war between the Houthis and Yemeni government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition.

Since the eruption of the Israel-Gaza conflict in 2023, ​​​​​​​the Houthis have become increasingly involved in regional hostilities, carrying out missile attacks on Israel and Israel-linked shipping in the Red Sea.

The latest uptick in fighting in Yemen – coupled with the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States – has revived fears of a return to full-scale conflict in the impoverished Gulf country.