Recent Developments in Yemen Conflict

Joining us from Sana'a is journalist Hussein al-Bukhaiti.

Welcome, Mr. Hussein. What are the latest

developments on the, uh, front?

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. As for the field developments, the forces affiliated

with Sana'a carried out operations yesterday over the last four— 48 hours.

They carried out what are considered the broadest operations, uh, inside Saudi

territory, including targeting King, uh, Khalid Airport

in Riyadh, Abha Airport, Khamis Mushait, and Saudi Aramco in Yanbu, in addition

to the Bir Askar radar, which is one of the important radars

for Saudi aircraft that bomb Yemen, uh, and it is in

located, meaning, 50 kilometers from the border— 20 kilometers from the Yemeni border,

as well as targeting the Saudi, uh, naval task forces,

in addition to targeting Al-Alam Camp, where new forces were being

mobilized in order to bring them into

the battle against Sana'a's forces. Certainly, these

developments and these broad attacks come because, during the eight

Over the past forty hours, Saudi Arabia has targeted civilians in

the Maqbanah area in Taiz, as well as the Sahar area in, uh, Saada,

killing and injuring fifty Yemeni civilians, most of them women and children,

as a result of several airstrikes on people's homes.

Therefore, this shows that Yemen and Sana'a have always said

that any escalation of attacks targeting civilians means Yemeni attacks

will expand, either inside Yemen or deep inside

Saudi Arabia, and attacks on these camps in

southern and eastern occupied Yemen are— there had been

previous warnings from the military spokesperson and from the Ministry of Defense here in

Sana'a, warning all the camps there.

They warned all areas that any troop build-ups or reinforcements

coming with Saudi support and Saudi intervention would

be targets. Therefore, my dear brother, it is strange that

those camps d-don't heed these warnings, and they must

realize that we are also at war, and Sana'a has the right to act

By targeting any military build-ups carried out by Saudi Arabia in any corner of

Yemen.

So, what is the nature of the Houthi threat to Riyadh today?

My dear, it has become a major threat. I mean, I’m telling you, it has become an existential threat

to the Saudi regime. The Saudi regime’s prestige lay

in its economic capacity and power, its prestige

at home, before neighboring states, and its strength

and might. But Yemen has— I mean, stripped it of all that.

Its airspace has become, uh, I mean, open to the Yemeni army,

and most airlines have even suspended their flights.

Its airports have become almost closed and nearly empty, just like— they will soon become

like Yemen’s airports. Also, its economy

and oil have not— it can no longer export a single drop of oil.

Many oil facilities have been targeted, and a maritime blockade has also been imposed

on it. Therefore, I think what is happening now is not only

attacks,

meaning a threat to Saudi Arabia, but rather a threat, I think

because of the Saudi regime's existence, and I think there is great danger,

so we see him trying to seek refuge and look for

countries and enlist many— trying to enlist many countries, so much so that

they practically laugh here and say that he contacted all the ministers

of defense in, in, in the world, except for one defense minister,

he could have contacted the Yemeni defense minister, al-Atifi, in Sanaa,

and asked him to stop the war, and Yemen would stop, but they have to take their hands off

Yemen, and this was one of the most important conditions that, if not carried out,

the operations will be larger and may also target the

energy facilities or the power stations

as well. The target bank is still large

deep inside Saudi Arabia. As for Yemen, we have been subjected to all the bombing.

You know that will not happen, and Saudi Arabia is still bombing

several areas in Yemen where

the Houthis are. There is the Mecca alliance

no doubt you know that it is a defensive alliance,

and the Egyptian side is now considering defensive operations for

Saudi Arabia. Any talks with the Houthis will not be

possible between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis. Let me ask you

this final question.

What if you— I mean, military operations

continue against the Houthis, as they do against Saudi Arabia

and the internationally recognized Yemeni forces?

What does the Houthi target

in Yemen?

He targets— only military sites, and he only targets

camps

where there are troop buildups

and reinforcements for Saudi-affiliated forces in order to bring them into battle.

As for camps where nothing is taking place, and the forces

in them are forces that, I mean, were there previously,

they are not targeted. This proves that Sanaa is trying

as much as possible to avoid shedding Yemeni blood,

and they issue warnings. I think this is the first war in which every

one of Sanaa's attacks

The Houthis targeted a camp in Shabwa and killed more than

50 trainees. They had just joined the government

forces and were training.

My dear brother, what are they training for? The art of painting or henna designs?

They are training to send them into battle,

which means massive mobilizations and reinforcements.

They are not military personnel yet. They may be—

My dear brother—

in the process of transitioning from civilians to soldiers.

They were targeted and killed—

My dear brother—

and this is the shedding of Yemeni blood.

My dear brother, I am talking to you about fifty Yemeni civilians, most of them

women and children, who were killed and buried alive in

their homes in Maqbanah and in, uh, Sahar in Saada,

and you are talking to me about fifty, calling them fifty trainees! It was

the camp that was targeted while a Saudi military committee was there,

and it was targeted as soon as that committee entered, killing a number of Saudi

soldiers, but Saudi Arabia is concealing that.

Regardless of whether they are new trainees or not, Sana'a issued warnings.

If what you say is true, these new trainees will be

trained for several days, then sent to the battlefronts, and Sana'a has

She warned and will not allow that, considering their entry into the camp.

So he is no longer just a—

Your point is clear.

Or, or, or a recruit or a civilian.

Clear. Thank you. From Sana'a, journalist Hussein

Al-Bukhaity