Yemen's Houthis say Saudi strikes killed one, targeted telecom towers

Saudi strikes in Yemen killed one person and targeted three telecommunications towers on Thursday, Houthi media said, in the latest attacks since the Iran-backed group seized control of the entire Red Sea coast.

"Saudi enemy warplanes targeted three telecommunications towers" in Taiz province, while one civilian was killed and another injured in strikes on the town of Abs, Almasirah television said.

On Wednesday, Riyadh accused the Houthis of launching a "cowardly" attack targeting Islam's holy city of Mecca, a claim they denied.

The Houthis have been reporting dozens of daily Saudi strikes since they seized control of strategic coastal areas overlooking the Bab al-Mandeb strait from Saudi-backed government forces.

Their latest territorial gains cement the hold of Iran and its allies on the two waterways that the wider Gulf, including top crude exporter Saudi Arabia, relies on to ship its oil.

In July, a fragile 2022 truce between the Houthis and the government fell apart after the group welcomed an Iranian plane to Sanaa in defiance of Riyadh's control over Yemeni airspace, setting off a spate of attacks.

They later announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and began hitting its ships and territory.

The conflict in the Arabian Peninsula's poorest country has forced more than 100,000 people to flee their homes, according to the United Nations.