Conflict & Security
Yemen prison strike kills 7 in Saudi raids, Houthis say
Yemen's Houthis said Monday that seven people were killed and seven wounded in Saudi airstrikes on a prison in Al-Hazm in northern Yemen, part of what they described as wider Saudi air and missile strikes across the country as fighting intensifies near the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
The Houthi-affiliated Saba news agency said a child visiting the prison in Jawf province was among those killed, citing the health ministry in Houthi-held Sanaa. The rebel group shared footage it said showed smoke rising and rescue workers searching rubble at the damaged prison.
Saba earlier said Jawf, Al-Bayda, Marib and Taiz were hit by several airstrikes and cruise missiles. Military sources within government forces also reported air raids and missile attacks to AFP, saying most strikes were in Al-Bayda and Marib and targeted strategic positions, gatherings and camps under Houthi control. Saudi Arabia did not announce strikes.
Days of fighting near the Red Sea coast have left more than 300 people dead and displaced hundreds of families as the Houthis try to capture land bordering Bab al-Mandab, the southern entrance to the Red Sea.
UN special envoy Hans Grundberg warned Monday that the Houthi assault had triggered increasingly intense clashes and threatened to expand the conflict. He said a return to sustained large-scale fighting would carry grave consequences for civilians and make a political settlement harder.
The Houthis and government forces have been fighting for days over control of Bab al-Mandab. The Houthis have also announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and have been targeting its ships and territory.
Update
The Houthi-affiliated Saba news agency reported seven people killed and seven wounded in Saudi airstrikes on a prison in Al-Hazm, Jawf province.
Saba said one child visiting the prison was among those killed, citing the health ministry in Houthi-held Sanaa.
The Houthis shared footage they said showed damage at the prison and rescue workers searching rubble.
The Houthis also said they had carried out a missile strike on trucks carrying military equipment from Saudi Arabia to Al-Wadiah military camp in Hadramawt province.
Source note: AFP news report published on 7 September 2026 at 18:12:11 UTC.
Update
UN special envoy Hans Grundberg warned that the Houthi assault had triggered increasingly intense clashes and threatened to expand the conflict.
Grundberg said a return to sustained large-scale fighting would have grave consequences for civilians and make a political settlement harder.
Source note: AFP news report published on 7 September 2026 at 14:46:04 UTC.
Update
Military sources within government forces also reported air raids and missile attacks.
Saudi Arabia has not claimed the strikes.
The sources said most strikes were in Al Bayda and Marib and targeted strategic positions, gatherings and camps under Houthi control.
Days of fighting near the Red Sea coast have left more than 300 people dead and displaced hundreds of families.
Source note: AFP news report published on 7 September 2026 at 09:21:49 UTC.
Update
The Houthi-affiliated Saba news agency said Jawf, al-Bayda, Marib and Taiz provinces were targeted.
Saba alleged that the strikes included airstrikes and cruise missiles.
The accusation came as the Houthis continued an offensive to seize territory bordering the Bab al-Mandeb strait.
Source note: AFP news report published on 7 September 2026 at 08:27:23 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The reported prison casualties and responsibility for the strike are attributed to Houthi-affiliated sources and were not independently confirmed in the supplied material.
Saudi Arabia had not announced the strikes described by the Houthis and government military sources.
The footage shared by the Houthis was described by the group and was not independently verified in the supplied material.
Source
AFP news report published on .