Saudi airstrike on Yemen prison kills nine detainees as Red Sea conflict widens

A Saudi airstrike on a prison in northwestern Yemen killed nine detainees, a Houthi official said Tuesday, as fighting between the Iran-backed group and Saudi Arabia intensifies and opens another front in the wider regional conflict. Abdelkader al-Murtada, a Houthi official in charge of detainee affairs, told the group-affiliated Saba news agency the prisoners were killed when the facility in Al-Hazm was hit, adding they had been captured during recent fighting. The reported strike follows a sharp rise in attacks, with Houthis accusing Saudi Arabia of dozens of airstrikes and Riyadh facing repeated missile and drone attacks. The escalation comes as Houthis strengthen control over populous areas and Red Sea coastal regions, boosting their ability to project power. Saudi Arabia's campaign aims to push back against this influence, while Britain has agreed to provide defensive air-to-air refuelling support to Riyadh. The conflict is increasingly intertwined with the broader war that began after US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February.