Saudi renews bombing of Yemen's capital following Houthi attacks

Al-Monitor Staff

Mar 8, 2021

Smoke billows following a reported airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, on March 7, 2021. - The Saudi-led military coalition mounted air strikes on Yemen's Huthi-controlled capital after it intercepted 10 drones launched by the Iran-backed rebels, state media reported. "The military operation targets Huthi military capabilities in Sanaa and a number of other provinces", the coalition was quoted as saying by the official Saudi Press Agency. (Photo by MOHAMMED HUWAIS / AFP) (Photo — Smoke billows following a reported airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, on March 7, 2021. — MOHAMMED HUWAIS/AFP via Getty Images

The Saudi-led military coalition announced a new campaign of airstrikes in Yemen in response to a series of Houthi missile and drone attacks on the Gulf kingdom this weekend.

Coalition aircraft bombed multiple locations in Sanaa on Sunday for the first time since US President Joe Biden halted offensive support to the coalition in a bid to end Yemen’s civil war.

The coalition said it would also bomb other areas of Yemen. “The targeting of civilians and civilian facilities is a red line,” coalition spokesperson Col. Turki al-Maliki said Sunday.

Riyadh’s response follows a fresh burst of attacks by the Houthis on Saudi Arabia over the weekend. The coalition said it had intercepted at least 12 explosive-laden drones and two ballistic missiles launched toward the kingdom on Sunday.

Saudi renews bombing of Yemen's capital following Houthi attacks

The Biden administration's push to end the war has been stalled by a recent escalation.

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