Houthis fire three ballistic missiles at Yemen’s Marib

Yemen's Houthi group launched three ballistic missiles at the government-held city of Marib on Saturday evening, pro-government media reported. State-run Saba TV said the attack targeted neighbourhoods in the oil-rich province. Residents confirmed hearing loud explosions, but no casualties or damage were immediately reported.

The attack comes amid rising tensions between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia. The Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah TV reported that Saudi forces launched artillery and missile strikes on the northern province of Saada a day earlier, damaging farmland. The Houthis have intensified missile and drone attacks in recent weeks, targeting Saudi oil tankers and energy facilities after announcing a maritime ban on Saudi shipping in July.

The Houthis have not commented on the Marib attack. Yemen has been in conflict since 2014, when the Houthis seized Sanaa and much of the north, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in 2015. A UN-brokered truce expired in October 2022, and a fragile de facto ceasefire has largely held until the recent escalation.