Explosions rocked Riyadh after Saudi Arabia killed 12 Houthi individuals in an airstrike

Oct 30 (Jowhar)- A new wave of violence in Yemen and explosions that occurred overnight in Riyadh have highlighted the rapid escalation of clashes following the collapse of a long-standing ceasefire, with the Iran-backed Houthis accusing Saudi Arabia of attacking residential neighborhoods in the west of the country.

The Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, recognized by the international community, have exchanged attacks nearly every day since a ceasefire that lasted for many years was broken this summer, further fueling a cycle of retaliation along the borders.

In the Saudi capital, reporters heard at least eight explosions as officials issued a phone warning to residents that the city was “under aerial threat.”

The Saudi civil defense also warned of a “potential threat” in Riyadh, Kharj, and the southern city of Najran, with alerts issued shortly thereafter.

The Houthis have significantly increased attacks on Saudi Arabia, including deadly strikes at the Riyadh airport that forced it to close for two weeks, leading to the suspension of flag events – a disruption threatening the kingdom's economic diversification plans.

Smoke is rising after a missile struck the airport in Aden.

Since the resumption of hostilities, more than 1,600 people have been killed across Yemen, and over 275,000 have been displaced, according to United Nations statistics.

“The initial toll is that 12 citizens have been killed, and three others have been seriously injured,” the health ministry of the Houthis stated in a statement released today by the Saba news agency of the group.

The group reported yesterday that Saudi airstrikes killed at least 14 people who were at a fuel station and market, while Houthi forces also targeted the airport located in the government center of Aden, injuring civilians.

The ongoing violence follows the collapse of a fragile ceasefire in July 2022, which broke down after the Houthis allowed an Iranian aircraft to land in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, contradicting the Saudi-led coalition's control of Yemen's airspace – a move that was followed by consecutive attacks.

After that, the Houthis announced a maritime blockade imposed on Saudi Arabia and began attacking its ships, land, and oil facilities, eventually seizing all Yemeni coastlines along the Red Sea in a rapid operation.

Additionally, the Houthis have repeatedly stated that Saudi Arabia has responded with airstrikes.

Yemen has been in conflict since 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital; this led to a Saudi-led coalition intervening a year later to support the government.