At least 30 Yemeni civilians have been killed or wounded over the past 24 hours in a fresh wave of airstrikes and artillery attacks by Saudi Arabia and its affiliated forces targeting residential areas in the provinces of Taiz and Hajjah, according to Yemen’s Al-Masirah network and local health authorities.
Al-Masirah reported early Friday that the Saudi coalition and its forces carried out five separate attacks on civilians, resulting in the deaths of nine people and injuries to 21 others. The majority of the casualties are women and children.
In Al-Ma’afir District of Taiz, three Saudi airstrikes struck a residential home in the Al-Nashma area, killing two civilians and wounding one woman and three children. The bombardment also destroyed civilian property. In the same district, Saudi fighter jets targeted the Al-Sharq Club and a sports hall in the Al-Sannah area, causing extensive destruction to public and private property, spreading terror among residents, and destroying sports facilities used by local youth.
A separate Saudi airstrike on a house in the Al-Omari area of coastal Dhubab District killed one woman and injured eight other civilians. The attack specifically targeted residential homes.
In Al-Ta’iziyah District, an artillery attack by Saudi-led coalition forces on the home of a Yemeni citizen in the Al-Arsh area killed three women and wounded three children from the same family.
According to a casualty monitoring form issued by the Taiz Province Health and Environment Office, the women killed were between 20 and 45 years old, while the wounded children were between three and 10 years old, highlighting the deliberate targeting of families inside their homes.
In Al-Masrakh District, Saudi warplanes struck the Jarah area, killing several livestock. In Al-Shamayatayn District, a Saudi airstrike on a home in the Al-Za’azi’ area killed one Yemeni and wounded four others, including a boy and a girl.
In Hajjah Province, a Saudi-led attack on civilian homes in the Azman area of Bakil al-Mir District killed one woman and wounded a child. The strike formed part of a series of attacks on residential areas over the past 24 hours.
These latest crimes come amid a broader Saudi escalation that Yemeni health officials say has killed or wounded more than 560 civilians since early September, with Taiz among the hardest-hit provinces. Women and children continue to account for a large share of the victims.
Saudi Arabia imposed a land, air, and naval blockade on Yemen after intervening militarily in 2015. The United States joined the blockade in October 2016 before later claiming to reverse the decision. On July 5, 2016, Sana’a decided to break the blockade. In response, Saudi Arabia bombed Sana’a Airport, an act met with a decisive counter-response by the Yemeni Armed Forces.
Through subsequent operations, Yemeni forces pushed back Saudi-backed militias, securing major victories including the capture of the historic port city of Al-Mukha and the strategically significant coastal region of Kahboub in the south. These advances significantly strengthened Yemeni control over the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s most vital shipping lanes.
Yemeni forces also recaptured several strategic islands from US-backed militias, further consolidating their hold on the waterway.
Yemeni officials and rights groups have repeatedly described the systematic targeting of civilian homes, women, and children as war crimes under international humanitarian law. They have called on the international community, the United Nations, and human rights organizations to condemn the attacks and hold the Saudi regime accountable, while affirming that such aggression will not go unanswered.
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