Over 70 people murdered in one day... Yemen civil war intensifies as proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia

As the civil war between Yemen's pro-Iran rebels Houthis and Saudi Arabia-backed government forces intensifies, civilian casualties are increasing, with more than 70 people killed in one day.

The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 7th (local time), citing the Houthi-run Ministry of Health, that an airstrike hit a village in the Bani Hushaisi region, east of Yemen's capital, Sanaa, killing at least 27 people and injuring 30.

Reuters reported that the Houthi Health Ministry said on the 8th that the death toll from the airstrike had risen to at least 40.

The Houthis' health ministry said most of the dead were women and children and that Saudi fighters were responsible.

The Saudi government said it was investigating.

Previously, on the 6th, it was reported that at least 30 people were killed in an airstrike on a traditional market in the Taiz area controlled by government forces. Local authorities pointed to the Houthis, and the Houthis pointed to Saudi Arabia.

About 70 people died in 24 hours in the two regions.

NYT explained that it is difficult to independently confirm the scale of casualties in Yemen. The newspaper pointed out that the Houthis are demanding prior permission from reporters visiting the airstrike site, and Saudi Arabia is releasing little information about the airstrike operation.

The Houthis, who have been supported by Iran, continue to attack the infrastructure of Saudi Arabia, an ally of the United States.

On the 8th, the headquarters of state-run oil company Aramco in the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), the heart of Riyadh, the Saudi capital, was attacked and damaged, but there were no casualties, the Saudi Energy Ministry said. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack.

According to Reuters, the Saudi-led coalition intercepted Houthi missiles over Riyadh and in the eastern provinces where oil and gas facilities are located on this day, and destroyed ballistic missile launchers in Yemen's Saada and Sana'a used in the attack.

A Houthi military spokesman predicted a counterattack, saying, "We will take revenge on those who killed children and women."

The Houthis have been targeting Aramco facilities intensively in recent weeks. Last month, Riyadh International Airport was attacked, killing 13 people and injuring more than 300.

Reuters pointed out that the conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis has become another front in the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran that began last February.

Saudi Arabia views the Houthis, who exercise great influence in Yemen, along the border, as a huge security threat.

The Houthis are a member of the 'Axis of Resistance' led by Iran in the Middle East against the United States and Israel, and are currently Iran's most powerful proxy force.

The civil war in Yemen, which had been on a lull due to a ceasefire in 2022, reignited last summer when Saudi Arabia launched an airstrike on the Houthi-controlled Sanaa airport.

It is said that Saudi Arabia used physical force because it suspected that the Houthis were trying to import Iranian manpower and military supplies into Yemen.

In response, the Houthis have taken control of the Red Sea coast and have been threatening Saudi ships passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Despite airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition, the Houthis are not giving up the areas they control.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), since the civil war in Yemen resumed in August, about 1,800 people have died and more than 300,000 have been displaced by the end of last month.

Saudi Arabia is also seeking military support from neighboring countries. On the 8th, the Associated Press reported, citing three Syrian officials, that preparations were being made to dispatch Syrian troops who could be deployed along the Saudi border and support the fight against the Houthis.

A Syrian official said about 600 special forces were scheduled to be sent to Saudi Arabia this week, and a small group of military advisers had already been deployed there.

However, Syria's state-run SANA news agency denied reports that Syrian troops were heading to Yemen, citing a diplomatic official as saying that cooperation with Saudi Arabia is focused on military training and capacity building.

AP reported that Syria is also considering joining the 'Mecca Joint Defense Agreement' with Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkuy. Saudi Arabia recently signed a military cooperation agreement with Syria and promised a loan of more than $400 million to fund reconstruction.

There are also concerns that if Syria, which has combat troops after a civil war and provides support to Saudi Arabia, could become the target of attacks by Iraqi militias linked to the Houthis.