Conflict & Security
Yemen clashes kill 63, military sources say
Fighting between the Houthis and Yemeni government forces and their Saudi backers killed 63 people in 24 hours, military sources from both sides told AFP on Thursday.
A government official said at least 23 government soldiers were killed in missile and drone attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis in two southwestern provinces. Houthi military sources reported 40 fighters killed in Saudi airstrikes and ground fighting.
Houthi-run Almasirah television separately said Thursday that three children were killed and several Yemenis injured in strikes by Saudi-backed government forces in Taiz province. Earlier reports from the channel said Saudi airstrikes killed one person, that one civilian was killed and another injured in strikes on Abs, and that Saudi warplanes targeted three telecommunications towers in Taiz province.
The reports came after Riyadh accused the Houthis of launching what it called a “cowardly” attack targeting Mecca, Islam's holiest city. The Houthis denied the accusation.
Fighting in Yemen has intensified since July, when a fragile 2022 truce between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government collapsed. The Houthis have reported dozens of Saudi strikes and have also announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia. The United Nations says the conflict in Yemen has forced more than 100,000 people to flee their homes.
Update
Military sources from both sides told AFP that 63 people were killed in 24 hours of fighting.
A government official said at least 23 government soldiers were killed in Houthi missile and drone attacks in two southwestern provinces.
Houthi military sources reported 40 fighters killed in Saudi airstrikes and ground fighting.
Source note: AFP news report published on 17 September 2026 at 17:59:59 UTC.
Update
Houthi-run Almasirah television said three children were killed in strikes in Taiz province.
The channel attributed the strikes to Saudi-backed government forces, describing them as mercenaries.
Almasirah said several Yemeni nationals were injured.
Source note: AFP news report published on 17 September 2026 at 13:33:19 UTC.
Update
Riyadh accused the Houthis on Wednesday of an attack targeting Mecca, which the Houthis denied.
The Houthis have been reporting dozens of daily Saudi strikes since seizing coastal areas overlooking the Bab al-Mandeb strait.
A fragile 2022 truce fell apart in July after the Houthis welcomed an Iranian plane to Sanaa, according to the item.
The United Nations says the conflict has forced more than 100,000 people from their homes.
Source note: AFP news report published on 17 September 2026 at 07:29:12 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The casualty figures are attributed to military sources and have not been independently verified in the supplied material.
Source
AFP news report published on .