Houthis and government trade attacks as Yemen slides back to full-scale war

BREAKING: Yemen slides back toward full-scale war as Houthis and government forces trade attacks, with pro-government forces carrying out 81 strikes in 24 hours and the Houthis claiming drone hits on two targets in Saudi Arabia's Najran province.

Eighty one attacks in twenty four hours. Yemen's truce is collapsing in real time.

Government forces struck Houthi positions across the country over the past day, saying they neutralised fighters and field commanders. The Houthis answered by sending drones across the border into Saudi Arabia, claiming hits on Najran airport and an Aramco facility. Riyadh hasn't confirmed either. Iran's Revolutionary Guard, which backs the Houthis, warned the Saudis they'd be unable to contain what's coming.

Remember what this truce was holding back. The Houthis took Sanaa in 2014, years of war followed, and the UN only got the guns quiet in 2022. Now there's fire along nearly the entire frozen front line, and both sides are hitting ports and airports deep behind it.

The UN's human rights chief is pleading with both sides to stop. Behind his plea is one number. Eighteen million people in Yemen don't reliably have enough to eat, and the war that starved them is coming back.

This is Liu Yang, reporting for HIT.