Saudis Escalate Attacks on Northern Yemen After Houthis Kill Two in Jazan

Saudis accuse Iran, Hezbollah of aiding Houthis

The cross-border attacks in Yemen and Saudi Arabia are escalating once again this weekend. On Friday, the Houthis hit the Saudi city of Jazan, killing two and injuring seven.

What followed was a “large-scale” attack by the Saudis against northern Yemen, hitting the town of Ajama and attacking camps in and around the capital city of Sanaa.

The Saudis were attacking Sanaa already, and are just increasing the rate. The Saudis are claiming that the increased strikes are hitting “weapons warehouses.”

That’s a common excuse when the Saudis attack populated areas, a preemptive attempt to argue that they were attacking military targets, as opposed to just hitting general Yemeni sites.

On top of that, the Saudis are accusing Iran and Hezbollah of aiding the Houthis. These aren’t new allegations, but are in keeping of the narrative the Saudis are telling about the war, making it a Shi’ite vs. Sunni battle.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.