Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi forces have launched drone strikes targeting four Saudi cities, according to Legit.ng, igniting oil installations and releasing video of the attacks. The escalation comes amid rising tensions in the Gulf and a broader Middle East conflict, pushing Brent crude prices above $99 per barrel. Saudi Arabia, described as a top United States ally, has faced repeated Houthi attacks on its energy infrastructure in past years. The reported strikes signal a further intensification of regional hostilities.

A spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition said that Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have wounded 73 civilians. According to the official, the Houthis targeted civilian sites in the cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran. The statement, reported by Al Jazeera, attributes the casualty figures and the claims about the locations struck to the coalition spokesperson, and no independent confirmation of the figures was provided in the report.

Fighting is ongoing in Yemen between Houthi forces and troops loyal to the internationally recognised, Saudi-backed government, according to Al Jazeera. Government-aligned forces have vowed to seize the capital, Sanaa, which has been under Houthi control, as battles intensify. The escalation marks a renewed push in the long-running conflict that has divided the country and drawn in regional powers.

Yemeni government forces have launched a counteroffensive against Houthi rebels, vowing to retake the capital Sanaa, according to Al Jazeera. The push comes as clashes between the two sides intensify in the provinces of al-Bayda and al-Jawf. The Houthis have controlled Sanaa since 2014, and the fighting is part of Yemen's long-running civil war, which has drawn in regional powers and caused a severe humanitarian crisis.

Houthi rebels in Yemen accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out an airstrike on a prison in the northern city of Hazm in Jawf province, killing seven people, including a child, according to the group. The strike on the Central Corrective Facility reportedly wounded at least seven others, including a woman. The accusation comes amid escalating tensions between the Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni forces.

Fighting in Yemen is intensifying as government-aligned forces launch counterattacks against the Houthis, whom Al Jazeera describes as Iran-backed, with battles reported around the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The escalation threatens one of the world’s key maritime chokepoints linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, raising concerns for shipping and regional security. Details on casualties, territorial control and the scale of operations were not provided in the source material.