Houthi rebels said Tuesday that Saudi Arabia launched airstrikes on four of its enclaves in Yemen, after the Iran-backed militia attacked three cities in the kingdom.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said Saudi forces launched 54 air assaults on Lahj, Taiz, al-Jawf and Hajjah, all located in the southwestern or northwestern parts of Yemen.
Strikes also reportedly hit Marib, a small city east of Yemen’s capital, Aden.
Houthi-affiliated media reported that the airstrikes killed at least three children and injured two others in the Taiz province.
Saudi Arabia has not confirmed or commented on Tuesday’s strikes.
Earlier Tuesday, Saudi-led coalition forces in Yemen accused the Houthis of launching drone and missile attacks on provinces in the southwestern part of the kingdom.
The strikes, which reportedly hit Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif provinces, resulted in minor injuries and damaged several homes and vehicles.
Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for coalition forces in Yemen, promised that government forces would respond “firmly” to the attacks.
The Houthis have not publicly accepted responsibility for the alleged attacks on Tuesday.
However, the Houthis did claim responsibility for a massive attack on Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid air base in Khamis Mushait on Monday. Houthi officials said the attack, which included dozens of drones and missiles, targeted runways, hangars, radar systems and ammunition depots.
That attack was in response to what the Houthis have called an expansive air campaign against rebel forces in Yemen, with Saudi Arabia allegedly carrying out more than 300 airstrikes in the last week.
Despite the increased military pressure from Saudi-aligned forces in Yemen, the Houthis have seemed to increase their gains in the country over the past week.
On Friday, the Iran-backed group stormed across the country’s southwestern coastline and seized several key islands and coastal towns, solidifying its control over the Bab al-Mandeb Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea.
The Bab al-Mandeb Strait has been used increasingly by Saudi Arabia to transport oil after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz in March.
Brent crude, the international standard for crude oil, retained most of its gains overnight on Tuesday, sitting at about $106 a barrel.
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