Yemen war fears grow after Houthi attacks resume

Renewed Houthi attacks in Yemen have revived fears of a return to wider war after a 2022 truce had brought relative calm to the country.

Residents in Mokha, Khokha and Marib described fear of new displacement and violence after recent attacks on government-held areas. Anwar, a father of two from Hodeida who fled to Mokha, told AFP that explosions last week after the Houthis hit Mokha port frightened his children.

The Saudi-backed government said it had retaliated after deadly attacks on military camps in central Marib province, Mokha port on the Red Sea, and residential areas in Marib where displaced people live.

A military source said the Houthis launched their deadliest attacks in years earlier this month, killing 58 government troops, mainly in Marib. Two civilians were killed in Houthi shelling on residential areas and displacement camps in Marib the same day.

Marib is divided between the government and the Houthis and has become a flashpoint for attacks. The International Organization for Migration says the province hosts 60 percent of Yemen's internally displaced people.

Yemen's civil conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, uprooted millions and pushed the country to the brink of famine. The latest hostilities followed a period of relative calm that began with the 2022 truce.