Two Yemeni soldiers were killed and seven others wounded on Monday after Houthi forces shelled government positions in Shabwa governorate, according to local media reports.
The attack targeted military installations in the oil-rich southern province as fighting between Yemen’s internationally recognised government and the Iran-backed Houthi movement intensifies.
The Sama Adan news portal reported that Houthi forces carried out the bombardment but did not provide details about the specific military locations targeted or how long the attack lasted. There was also no immediate claim of responsibility from any other group.
The latest attack comes amid a renewed wave of violence across several fronts in Yemen. Clashes between government forces and Houthi fighters have reportedly killed dozens of people on both sides since last month.
The escalation marks a setback to the relative calm that had prevailed across much of Yemen since April 2022, when a period of reduced fighting brought a temporary reprieve from the country’s prolonged conflict.
Yemen has been embroiled in civil war since the Houthis seized control of the capital, Sanaa, and large parts of the country in 2014. Government forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, have fought for years to push back the rebel movement.
The conflict has devastated Yemen’s economy and infrastructure and contributed to one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.
The renewed fighting in Shabwa and other parts of the country is raising fresh concerns that Yemen could once again descend into a wider cycle of violence after years of efforts to secure a lasting political settlement.
