The death toll from an airstrike on a Houthi-run prison in Yemen’s Jawf province has risen to 23 after rescuers recovered four more bodies from the rubble on Wednesday, as renewed fighting threatened the country’s fragile ceasefire.
The prison in Hazm, the provincial capital, collapsed Monday after Saudi-led coalition strikes hit the area, injuring seven others. A child was among the dead, while seven people remained missing, according to Jawf civil defense chief Hassan Saboula.
The Houthis retaliated Tuesday by attacking southern Saudi cities, prompting further coalition strikes Wednesday. Saudi-backed government forces also advanced in eastern Hazm, cutting Houthi supply routes. The rebels reported 48 airstrikes across six provinces within 12 hours.
The escalation has also raised concerns over global oil shipments, with the Houthis targeting Saudi oil facilities and Red Sea shipping.
The violence has shattered a four-year truce. The WHO said at least 194 people were killed and over 880 wounded in Yemen between Aug. 23 and Sept. 5, while more than 21,000 were displaced.
Yemen’s civil war began in 2014 after the Houthis seized Sanaa. A Saudi-led coalition intervened the following year. The conflict has killed at least 150,000 people, according to UN estimates.