Houthis hit Saudi base amid renewed fighting with Yemen government forces

The rebels have cemented their hold on the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which has become a key route for oil exports after Iran’s Hormuz blockade

Houthi fighters on Sunday said they used drones and missiles to attack a military base in southern Saudi Arabia as renewed fighting with Yemen’s government forces forced growing numbers of civilians to flee.

The attack at the southern Sharurah base targeted “weapons depots and command and control centres that are managing the aggression against our nation and people”, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on social media.

The date of the operation was not specified. Clashes have increased this week between the Iran-allied Houthis and Yemeni government forces, which are backed by Riyadh.

On Saturday, the government forces said they had struck Houthi fighters in the Red Sea city of Mocha, and later attacked other Houthi positions in the southwestern part of the country.

“Air Force of the Armed Forces targeted positions and barracks of the terrorist Houthi group with three air strikes” in the Taiz region, the Yemeni military said on Sunday in a social media post.

US news site Axios also reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman twice called US President Donald Trump to request strikes on the Houthis last week, but that the request was rejected.