Airstrikes on homes near Sanaa kill at least 25, Houthi-run health ministry says
Airstrikes hit homes in the village of al-Shariya, near Yemen's capital Sanaa, on Saturday 7 November 2026. The Houthi-run health ministry's spokesman told AP that at least 25 people were killed and 30 wounded, most of them women and children, and the ministry later raised its reported toll to 27 dead and 36 wounded. The ministry blamed Saudi Arabia, which had not commented; AP said it could not independently verify the figures. The Houthis also said they had carried out six operations against targets in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, while the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted a cruise missile aimed at the Riyadh region.
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Key points
- The Houthi-run health ministry reports at least 25 killed in strikes on homes in al-Shariya near Sanaa, later raising its toll to 27 — none of it independently verified.
- The ministry blames Saudi Arabia; Riyadh has not commented.
- The Houthis say they launched six operations against Saudi targets; the coalition says it intercepted a cruise missile near Riyadh.
- The strikes come a day after a market strike in Taiz that killed at least 30, on which the two sides blame each other.
What happened
Yemen's war resumed in July after a years-long truce fell apart. The Houthis control Sanaa, the north and the west of the country, while the Saudi-backed internationally recognised government holds the south and east. In September the Houthis advanced along the Red Sea coast and around Taiz, and they have stepped up attacks on Saudi Arabia, with airports and oil facilities among their main targets.
Saturday's fighting ran in both directions: strikes on the Houthi-held village of al-Shariya, and Houthi-claimed operations against Saudi targets alongside a coalition claim to have intercepted a cruise missile aimed at the Riyadh region.
Both sides, in their own words
Both sides heard. Neither believed for free. Publishing a side's version is not endorsing it — the claim checks below are where verdicts live.
Side A · Houthi authorities
- The health ministry says the strikes hit homes in al-Shariya, that people are still buried under rubble, and that later strikes hit emergency workers pulling survivors out.
- Military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group carried out six operations against targets in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, naming Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport and Aramco facilities.
Side B · Saudi Arabia and the Saudi-led coalition
- Saudi Arabia has not commented on the al-Shariya strikes, and its Information Ministry did not reply to AP's request for comment.
- The Saudi-led coalition said its air defences intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile aimed at the Riyadh region.
Independently verified
Nothing independently verified yet.Not yet verified
Airstrikes hit several homes in the village of al-Shariya, in the Bani Hushaysh district about 15 km northeast of Sanaa, on Saturday 7 November 2026. The Houthi-run health ministry's spokesman, Anees Alasbahi, told AP that at least 25 people were killed and 30 wounded, most of them women and children; the ministry later raised its reported toll to 27 dead and 36 wounded. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group had carried out six operations against targets in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, naming Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport and Aramco facilities among the targets. Whether any of those sites were hit has not been verified. Separately, the Saudi-led coalition said its air defences intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile aimed at the Riyadh region.Claim by claim
Why this label: Every toll is the Houthi-run ministry's own, and it rose through the day — al-Masirah first reported 22 killed. AP said it could not independently verify the claims, and no independent toll exists; footage carried by AAP/DPA showed casualties, including injured children, arriving at a local hospital.
On the ladder: the evidence so far sits low — early, single or social sources. We publish the claim as a claim, never as fact.
Why this label: The attribution to Saudi Arabia is the Houthi authorities' accusation. It is carried as their claim: the other side has not answered it, and no independent attribution has been reported.
On the ladder: credible sources conflict, so we show both workings. One side's own statement is that side's position — never proof.
Why this label: Both the six-operations claim and the interception are the sides' own statements, reported by live coverage of Saree's announcement and the coalition's announcement; neither has been independently confirmed.
On the ladder: the evidence so far sits low — early, single or social sources. We publish the claim as a claim, never as fact.
Show all claims (1 more)
Why this label: AP reported that the two sides blamed each other for the market strike and that neither side's account was independently verified.
On the ladder: credible sources conflict, so we show both workings. One side's own statement is that side's position — never proof.
What we know / what we don't know yet
What we know
- Strikes hit homes in al-Shariya on Saturday, and casualties including injured children reached a local hospital, on AAP/DPA's reporting of the aftermath.
- Saudi Arabia has not commented on the strikes.
What we don't know yet
- The true toll in al-Shariya — the Houthi-run ministry's figures are unverified and have risen through the day.
- Who carried out the al-Shariya strikes — the Houthi authorities accuse Saudi Arabia, which has not responded.
- Whether any of the sites the Houthis say they targeted in Saudi Arabia were hit.
Why it matters
If the ministry's toll is borne out, al-Shariya is among the deadliest single strikes since Yemen's war resumed in the summer — and the exchange of strikes between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia is widening from Yemen's front lines to the Saudi capital region and its oil infrastructure.
Background
Show the background timeline (4)
Yemen's years-long truce falls apart and fighting resumes between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed government.
The Houthis advance along the Red Sea coast and around Taiz, and step up strikes on Saudi Arabia.
A strike on al-Hadara market in Taiz province kills at least 30 people, Houthi officials say; the two sides blame each other.
Strikes hit homes in al-Shariya near Sanaa; the Houthis announce six operations against Saudi targets.
Update history
No silent edits. Every change is written here, with its time.
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Published in Checking state — checking continues, and claims are labelled as reporting develops. Basis: AP's reporting of the Houthi-run health ministry's figures, which are labelled as that ministry's own.