In the early hours of Monday, a Saudi‑backed airstrike hit the Central Corrective Facility in the strategic city of Hazm, located in Yemen’s Jawf province. According to the Houthi‑run health ministry, seven people were killed, including a child, and at least seven more were injured, among them a woman.
Casualties and immediate aftermath
Houthi spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said the prison’s warden reported that 35 inmates and a visiting woman were trapped under the rubble. Footage aired by the Houthi al‑Masirah satellite channel showed a collapsed building with debris scattered across the site, while rescue teams moved cautiously among the wreckage.
Context of the conflict
The strike comes amid a broader escalation between the Iran‑backed Houthi movement and the Saudi‑backed Yemeni government forces. Yemen has been embroiled in civil war since 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, forcing the internationally recognized government to flee southward and eventually into exile in Saudi Arabia. A Saudi‑led coalition entered the war in 2015 to restore the recognized government.
Both sides have accused each other of targeting civilian facilities. In 2022, a Saudi‑led coalition strike on a detention center in Saada province killed at least 87 prisoners and wounded roughly 266. A similar attack in September 2019 on a Houthi‑run facility in Dhamar province resulted in over 100 deaths.
Houthi response and claims
Brig. Gen. Saree condemned the strike as a “massacre” and vowed that Saudi aggression would not go unanswered. He also claimed that Houthi forces had downed four Saudi reconnaissance drones in the past 24 hours, including one spotted over Bayda province on Monday morning.
Saudi position
Saudi Arabia’s media ministry did not issue an immediate comment on the incident. Historically, the Saudi government has denied targeting civilian sites and has framed its operations as necessary to combat Houthi aggression and restore stability.
Humanitarian impact
The United Nations estimates that the Yemen war has claimed at least 150,000 lives and has at times pushed the country to the brink of famine. A ceasefire that largely held since 2022 has now collapsed, raising concerns about further civilian suffering.
Looking ahead
The latest strike underscores the fragile security situation in northern Yemen and the ongoing humanitarian crisis. International observers continue to call for renewed diplomatic efforts to achieve a lasting peace, while both sides remain entrenched in a conflict that has already caused immense loss of life and displacement.
Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.
