Saudi jets hit northern Yemen despite truce offer

Saudi fighter jets have launched a new round of aerial bombardments of Houthi positions in northern Yemen despite a truce offer put forward by the Yemeni Hezbollahi fighters.

According to a statement released by the Hezbollahi Houthis on Tuesday, Saudi forces carried out 24 aerial attacks on the northern regions of Ghamar, Muhazat, Bani Maaz, al-Mukash, Qatabir, and Harf Sufyan as well as the villages in close proximity to the border regions with the oil-rich kingdom.

Several homes were reportedly destroyed while more than a dozen people lost their lives in the airstrikes.

The statement added that Saudi forces also fired 232 rockets at the areas of Jebel Dhar Hamar, al-Hasamah, al-Malaheet, Qafarah, Shada, and Qamamat.

On Saturday, the leader of the Yemeni Hezbollahi fighters, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, offered to accept the government’s five-point truce terms in a bid “to avoid… the annihilation of civilians.”

On the same day, the Hezbollahi Houthi fighters withdrew from at least 46 positions along the Saudi-Yemen border as a gesture of goodwill to end the months-long clashes in the north.

However, Sana’a rejected the Hezbollahi Houthis’ response, saying: “It does not include a sixth point, which demands a pledge from the Hezbollahi Houthis to not attack Saudi territory.”

Riyadh declared victory last week after the Houthis’ truce offer and their consequent departure from the border towns, claiming the fighters had been forced out of the positions.

The Yemeni government launched an all-out war against Hezbollahi Houthi fighters in August and was soon joined by the Saudi army.

The joint military action has taken a heavy toll on civilians, drawing repeated warnings from human rights organizations about the humanitarian crisis unfolding in northern Yemen.