The Yemeni capital, Sana’a, reportedly experienced multiple heavy explosions, attributed by reports to Israeli strikes. These events occurred a day following a Houthi drone strike. One reported incident involved a three-story residential building in the densely populated al-Raqas neighborhood, with a witness describing widespread rubble and individuals trapped. The New York Times stated it could not immediately verify the nature of the sites attacked or the number of casualties. The explosions coincided with a televised speech by Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, who did not reference the strikes.
The reported Israeli actions are part of an ongoing and escalating conflict between Israel and the Houthis, an Iran-backed militia controlling much of northern Yemen. Israel’s military has reportedly increased its focus on the Houthis, conducting strikes on Yemeni infrastructure. Previous Israeli attacks in Sana’a in August resulted in the deaths of senior members of the Houthi-led government, including the prime minister, though military leadership was reportedly largely unaffected. Human rights groups have also documented dozens of civilian casualties from Israeli strikes in Yemen in recent months.
Source: www.nytimes.com