Yemen clashes kill 169 as Houthis push for Red Sea coast control

Up to 169 people have been reportedly killed in Yemen over the last three days as Iran-aligned Houthi forces battle Saudi-backed government troops for control of strategic Red Sea coastal heights, forcing thousands of civilians to flee the renewed violence. Houthi military officials reported at least 118 deaths from clashes and Saudi air strikes across Taiz, al-Jawf, Marib, and Saada provinces since Sunday, while Yemeni government sources confirmed at least 36 fatalities on their side. The Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of killing six civilians, including two children, in a strike on the port city of Mocha, and nine detainees in a prison attack. Saudi Arabia issued an alert for potential strikes in the country's south after the Houthis launched missiles at Riyadh over the weekend, the first such attack in years. The fighting follows a major Houthi offensive three weeks ago that seized much of Yemen's Red Sea coast, including Mocha, giving the group control over the Bab al-Mandab strait, a vital shipping lane for 10% of global maritime traffic. The clashes have worsened a dire humanitarian crisis affecting 22 million people, with about 700 killed and over 100,000 displaced since the campaign began. The conflict, which started in 2014, had largely been held in check by a UN-brokered ceasefire in 2022 until this offensive.