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Houthis and Yemeni government blame each other for Taiz market attack that killed 30
Developed over time first seen 1 day ago
An attack on a market in Al-Waziya, Taiz province, killed 30 people and wounded eight, according to the Houthi health ministry. The Houthis and Yemen’s internationally recognised government blamed each other, leaving responsibility disputed.
The Houthis said Saudi aircraft carried out several strikes and claimed the planes had taken off from Khamis Mushait air base in Saudi Arabia. Local Taiz authorities denied that air strikes occurred and blamed Houthi missile fire; the government called the attack a “war crime”. The market is in a Houthi-held area of Taiz, near the Bab al-Mandab shipping route, and government forces said they had recaptured several areas in the province.
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In short
- 30 people were killed and eight wounded at a Taiz market.
- The Houthis blamed Saudi air strikes; local authorities blamed Houthi missiles.
- Responsibility for the attack remains disputed.
How this story developed
- 21 hours ago New details include the Houthis’ claim that Saudi aircraft struck the market and their military spokesman’s statement that the planes took off from a base in Saudi Arabia.
- 1 day ago A deadly market attack in Al-Waziya, in Yemen’s Taiz province, has prompted the Houthis and the internationally recognised government to accuse each other. The competing accounts leave responsibility disputed, while the attack underscores the risks to civilians amid fighting in a strategically important province.
- 1 day ago An attack on a market in Al-Waziya, Taiz province, killed 30 people and wounded eight, according to the Houthi health ministry. The Houthis and Yemen’s internationally recognised government blamed each other, leaving responsibility disputed.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The Houthis’ account is that Saudi aircraft struck the market, and their spokesman says the planes took off from a base in Saudi Arabia. If accurate, an air strike on a crowded market would raise grave questions about civilian protection and responsibility for the deaths; the reported toll and rescue effort underline the scale of the harm.
The case against
Taiz authorities deny that any air strikes occurred and blame Houthi missile fire, offering a different account of how the market was hit. If that account is accurate, responsibility would lie with the forces that fired the missiles, and the government’s rejection of the Houthi claim reflects the importance of establishing what happened before assigning blame.
Explained simply
Yemen’s war pits the internationally recognised government against the Houthi movement, which controls the capital, Sanaa, and parts of the country. Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition supporting the government, while the Houthis have also fought forces aligned with it.
Taiz province is divided between rival forces and has seen years of fighting. It lies near the Bab al-Mandab, a narrow sea passage linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and a route used by international shipping.
Responsibility for attacks in the conflict is often disputed, and the claims made by each side can be difficult to verify independently. The competing accounts matter because they could affect local fighting and wider tensions involving Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
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