Daijiworld Media Network - Sanaa

Sanaa, Sep 19: Yemen's Houthi group has claimed that Saudi warplanes carried out 26 airstrikes on the southwestern province of Taiz over the past 24 hours, as fighting intensified across several fronts in the country.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement on X on Friday that Saudi F-15 fighter jets carried out the strikes on Taiz after taking off from Khamis Mushait Air Base in southwestern Saudi Arabia.

Sarea further claimed that around 300 airstrikes had been carried out across nine Yemeni provinces this week, involving F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets operating from Khamis Mushait and King Fahd air bases in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi authorities had no immediate comment on the claims.

Heavy fighting was also reported on Friday around the Kahbub mountain range in southern Yemen's Lahj province, near the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait. Clashes were also continuing in parts of Taiz and the oil-rich Marib province in northeastern Yemen.

The latest escalation follows reported Houthi advances along Yemen's southwestern Red Sea coast earlier this month.

Yemen's conflict began in late 2014 after the Houthis seized Sanaa and large parts of northern Yemen. Saudi Arabia subsequently led a coalition that intervened in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognised Yemeni government.

Meanwhile, explosions were heard in the Saudi capital Riyadh early Saturday, with residents receiving air-defence alerts through mobile applications.

The Saudi Directorate of Civil Defence later said on X that the danger had passed in Riyadh and Al-Kharj and urged residents to follow official instructions and avoid gathering or filming.

Earlier, authorities had issued an emergency warning for Al-Kharj Governorate through the National Early Warning Platform.