Houthis accuse Saudi Arabia of killing seven in Yemen prison air strike

What happened

Al Jazeera Yemen reports that Yemen’s Houthi rebels have accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out an air strike on the Central Corrective Facility prison in al-Hazm city, al-Jawf province, on Monday. The Houthi-run Health Ministry spokesperson said the strike killed seven people, including a child, and wounded at least seven others including a woman. The Houthi media outlet Al Masirah TV released footage showing the apparent damage to the prison, with collapsed buildings and people searching through rubble.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. The Houthis also claimed to have filmed ballistic missile attacks on Saudi supply trucks carrying military equipment on the Saudi-Yemen border in Hadramout province. Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree accused Saudi Arabia of ongoing aggression, including reconnaissance drone flights and arming mercenaries. He said the Houthis shot down four Saudi drones in the previous 24 hours, including two CH-4 drones, alleging these operated hostile missions over al-Jawf. Riyadh has not publicly responded to these allegations.

The accusations come amid a recent surge in fighting between the Houthis and Yemen’s internationally recognised government. The government claims recent gains in multiple northern provinces including al-Jawf. Fighting around key strategic areas such as the Bab al-Mandeb strait has intensified, reportedly causing hundreds of casualties over the last day. UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg has appealed for restraint to avoid full-scale war escalation.

Known from the source

• Houthi rebels claim a Saudi air strike hit the Central Corrective Facility in al-Hazm, al-Jawf province.
• Seven people, including a child, were reportedly killed and seven wounded in the strike, per Houthi Health Ministry spokesperson.
• Al Masirah TV released footage showing destruction at the prison site.
• Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed to have shot down four Saudi reconnaissance drones in 24 hours.
• The Yemeni government says it has made recent territorial gains against the Houthis in northern provinces.

What remains unclear

Attacks on prisons have been a tragic feature of the conflict, with Saudi-led coalition airstrikes previously hitting detention facilities in 2019 and 2022, resulting in high prisoner casualties. The latest Houthi claims add to the pattern of alleged strikes on civilian and detention sites, raising serious humanitarian and legal concerns amid ongoing hostilities.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Verify casualty numbers and identities from independent or multiple sources. Confirm Saudi Arabia’s response or denial regarding the alleged prison air strike and drone accusations. Validate drone shootdown claims through other sources or intelligence.

Evidence note

This story contains report-led claims. The article keeps those claims attributed and treats them as unconfirmed/hearsay unless independently corroborated.

Original source: Al Jazeera Yemen. Open the source.