Yemen's Houthi rebel movement said it launched a drone and missile attack on a military base in southern Saudi Arabia, close to the two countries' shared border, in the latest strike of a conflict that has drawn in Iran-aligned forces against a Saudi-backed government.
The group, formally called Ansar Allah but widely known as the Houthis after the family name of its leadership, said the operation used unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles. It targeted weapons depots and command and control centres used to direct the assault on the Yemeni nation and people, at a military base in Sharurah, according to the movement's military affairs spokesman, Yahya Saree, who announced the strike on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Where the strike hit
Saree said the base at Sharurah, near Yemen's northern border with Saudi Arabia, housed both weapons storage sites and command facilities directing operations against Yemen. He did not say exactly when the operation took place.
Who the Houthis are
The Houthis are a Zaidi Shia armed movement that took control of the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, in 2014, plunging the country into a civil war against its internationally recognised government. Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition backing that government since 2015 and has repeatedly accused the Houthis of receiving weapons and support from Iran. The movement has carried out numerous drone and missile attacks on Saudi territory during the war, as well as strikes on shipping in the Red Sea.
Saudi Arabia's position in the war
Saudi Arabia is the main international backer of the government the Houthis are fighting, and the kingdom has positioned itself as the principal counterweight to the group in the conflict. Areas of southern Saudi Arabia near the Yemeni border, including the vicinity of Sharurah, have repeatedly come under fire from Houthi forces since the war began.
