Clashes between Iran-backed Houthi rebels and government forces in Yemen have raged overnight, sparking fears that the country’s civil war could reignite and create a new front in the Middle East war.
Recent Developments
At least one government soldier was killed and another critically wounded in clashes between Houthi rebels and the military in the mountainous province of Taiz, Yemeni military officials told The Associated Press. The fighting came as part of a spate of recent attacks by the Houthis on government-held areas across the country.
The Houthis have been hitting government-held areas with drones and missiles, saying they have been targeting military forces and warehouses. They have also been attacking oil facilities in neighboring Saudi Arabia, which supports the Yemeni government, and the kingdom’s shipping in the Red Sea.
On Tuesday, they hit a commercial ship in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, killing six people. Three Pakistanis were among the dead in the ship attack, and Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday that one of its nationals was missing after the attack and two were wounded.
Environmental Damage
Iran was working to clean up an oil spill off Qeshm Island, which lies off the Iranian mainland in the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting the environmental damage being caused by the ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel.
Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.
