Houthis say Saudi strikes hit Yemen's Sanaa as government forces launch offensive
In short
Al Masirah TV, controlled by Yemen's Houthis, reported that Saudi airstrikes hit the capital Sanaa on Oct 3, giving no details on targets or casualties; Saudi Arabia had not commented. On Oct 5, Houthi sources said strikes on Sanaa province killed two women and injured two others, and Yemeni government forces said they had launched a “strategic offensive” on Sanaa. The Houthis say Saudi Arabia has carried out 1,350 airstrikes and missile attacks since the escalation began on Sept 3.
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Al Masirah TV, which is controlled by Yemen's Houthi movement, reported on Oct 3 that Saudi airstrikes hit Sanaa, the Yemeni capital, according to CLS and Yicai, which both relayed the report. The report gave no details on the targets or on casualties, and Saudi Arabia had not responded at the time, the two outlets said. Yicai, citing CCTV News, added that intense fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government forces it backs on one side and the Houthis on the other has continued recently. [ 1 , 2 ]
In a statement on the evening of Oct 2 local time, the Houthis said Saudi Arabia had carried out 94 airstrikes in the previous 24 hours, hitting areas in Sanaa, Saada, Taiz, Hajjah, Amran and Ibb provinces and causing casualties, Yicai reported, citing CCTV News. The same statement said Saudi Arabia has launched 1,350 airstrikes and missile attacks since the escalation began on Sept 3, according to that report. [ 2 ]
On the afternoon of Oct 5, airstrikes hit multiple locations in Sanaa province, where the capital is located, killing two women and injuring two other women, according to Houthi sources cited by CLS, Jiemian News and China News Service. Yemeni government forces said the same day that they had launched a “strategic offensive” against Sanaa, the Houthi-controlled capital, CLS and Jiemian reported. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
The accounts of the strikes and casualties come from the Houthis and their Al Masirah TV and were relayed by the Chinese outlets, several of which credited CCTV News; the documents do not cite independent confirmation. No Saudi statement appears in the documents, and the report on the Oct 3 strike did not specify targets or a death toll. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
Why it matters
The reports point to continued escalation around Yemen's capital, with a Saudi-backed government offensive and repeated airstrikes on Houthi-held areas. Because the accounts of the strikes and casualties come from Houthi media and Saudi Arabia has not commented in the documents, the picture available to readers remains one-sided and unverified.
Key facts
- Al Masirah TV, controlled by the Houthis, reported on Oct 3 that Saudi airstrikes hit Sanaa, Yemen's capital, without giving details on targets or casualties. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Saudi Arabia had not responded at the time of the reports. [ 1 , 2 ]
- In a statement on the evening of Oct 2 local time, the Houthis said Saudi Arabia carried out 94 airstrikes in the previous 24 hours across Sanaa, Saada, Taiz, Hajjah, Amran and Ibb provinces, causing casualties. [ 2 ]
- The Houthis said Saudi Arabia has launched 1,350 airstrikes and missile attacks since the escalation began on Sept 3. [ 2 ]
- Airstrikes on multiple locations in Sanaa province on the afternoon of Oct 5 killed two women and injured two other women, according to Houthi sources. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Yemeni government forces said the same day that they had launched a “strategic offensive” on Sanaa, the Houthi-controlled capital. [ 3 , 4 ]
- Yicai reported, citing CCTV News, that fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government forces it backs on one side and the Houthis on the other has continued recently. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Saudi airstrikes hit Yemen's capital Sanaa on Oct 3, according to the Houthi-controlled Al Masirah TV, with no details given on targets or casualties. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Saudi Arabia had not responded to the reports at the time they were published. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Airstrikes hit multiple locations in Sanaa province on the afternoon of Oct 5, killing two women and injuring two other women, according to Houthi sources. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Yemeni government forces said they had launched a “strategic offensive” on Sanaa. [ 3 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- Whether Saudi Arabia confirms the airstrikes or issues any response. Documents 1 and 2 say Saudi Arabia had no response at the time; no Saudi statement appears in any of the documents.
- The targets and casualties of the Oct 3 strike on Sanaa. Document 1 states the report gave no details on targets or casualties, and document 2 repeats the report without them.
- Whether the Houthi-reported casualty figures and strike counts have been independently verified. All figures originate from the Houthis or their Al Masirah TV and are relayed by Chinese outlets; the documents cite no independent confirmation.
- The exact times of the Oct 2 Houthi statement and of the Sept 3 escalation. Document 2 gives only “the evening of Oct 2 local time” for the statement and Sept 3 as the start of the escalation.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The Houthis say in a statement that Saudi Arabia carried out 94 airstrikes in the previous 24 hours across Sanaa, Saada, Taiz, Hajjah, Amran and Ibb provinces, causing casualties. [ 2 ]
- CLS reports Al Masirah TV's Oct 3 report that Sanaa was hit by Saudi airstrikes, with no details on targets or casualties and no Saudi response. [ 1 ]
- Yicai, citing CCTV News citing Al Masirah TV, reports the same strike and adds that fighting has continued, with the Houthis saying Saudi Arabia has launched 1,350 airstrikes and missile attacks since Sept 3. [ 2 ]
- CLS reports Houthi sources saying Saudi airstrikes on Sanaa province killed two women and injured two, and that Yemeni government forces announced a “strategic offensive” on Sanaa. [ 3 ]
- China News Service reports the Oct 5 Sanaa province strikes and the two deaths and two injuries, citing Houthi sources. [ 5 ]