Thirteen Dead in Yemen Market

Thirteen people died in a crowded market in northern Yemen on Wednesday after Saudi-led airstrikes struck the area, according to the Houthi-run Health Ministry. The ministry reported that 16 others were wounded, including three women, and that nearby shops and houses suffered heavy damage.

The strikes hit a central market near a gas station in al-Hazm, the capital of al-Jawf province, while shoppers were present. The ministry called the attack a war crime and demanded an international investigation. The Saudi-backed Yemeni government had not issued an immediate statement regarding the incident.

The conflict has escalated over recent weeks. Taiz province, considered a gateway to the country's south, has become a major battlefront. The city has taken in approximately half of Yemen’s population displaced by the latest fighting. Resources are strained as the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have tightened their siege of the city.

Nabil Shamsan, the governor of Taiz, said residents lost access to about 3 million liters of water from wells in Wadi al-Dhubab, which he stated is now under Houthi control. Eshraq al-Maqtari, a legal affairs minister in Yemen’s internationally recognized government, said more than 2,000 projectiles and explosives struck Taiz city districts in recent days. She called for measures to cut off the rebels' weapon supplies and funding.

Shamsan reported that fighting intensified across the province as Houthis deployed reinforcements to multiple fronts. He said the city is now encircled on all four sides. Yemeni officials have appealed for international support to protect civilians and reopen roads into Taiz.

In a separate incident in southern Yemen, an Associated Press reporter in Aden witnessed explosions that shattered windows at the airport building and nearby homes. The blasts followed a call by Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree for everyone at the airport to evacuate. Saree claimed a Saudi military cargo plane carrying weapons was present, though he did not provide evidence.

The next step in the regional crisis involves diplomatic efforts to contain the spread of violence. A meeting between Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey took place in Tehran on Monday. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the gathering provided an opportunity to advance dialogue and regional peace. He argued that the countries should be responsible for their own security without the military presence of extraregional powers.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held telephone calls with Saudi Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the UAE to discuss political solutions. Egypt announced this month that it will provide Saudi Arabia with military support to defend against Houthi attacks. A police officer in Belgrade, Serbia, shot and killed a man who attacked him with knives at the Israeli Embassy just after midnight on Wednesday. Serbian officials described the attacker as a minor and raised the terror threat to the highest level.