CAIRO (Azat TV) – At least 30 people were killed and 8 others were wounded when three airstrikes hit a vegetable market in southwestern Yemen on Friday morning, November 6, 2026, according to Houthi officials who blamed the Saudi-led coalition. The internationally recognized Yemeni government immediately denied coalition involvement, asserting instead that Houthi forces were responsible for the destruction at the al-Hadara market in al-Waziyah, Taiz province.
The attack occurred at approximately 7 a.m. local time, intensifying an escalatory spiral that has gripped Yemen since the collapse of a national truce in July 2026. House of Saud reported that the Associated Press could not independently verify either side’s account of the incident, leaving the exact cause of the market explosion unresolved amid competing claims from the warring factions.
Conflicting Claims and Lack of Verification
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree stated that warplanes originating from the Khamis Mushait air base in southern Saudi Arabia carried out the three strikes before leaving Taiz airspace at around 8 a.m. Anees Alsabahi, a health ministry spokesperson under Houthi administration, told Al Masirah television that Saudi aircraft targeted the Al-Waziya market directly. However, neither official provided verifiable technical data, radar evidence, or flight-tracking proof to substantiate the claims.
Meanwhile, Taiz provincial authorities aligned with the Yemeni government rejected the coalition-strike narrative. Officials stated that no government or coalition airstrikes occurred in the area at that time, pointing instead to indiscriminate Houthi missile fire, including ballistic munitions. Secondary reports from regional outlets similarly cited military sources blaming Houthi operations for the blast. Major international human rights monitors and United Nations agencies had not issued independent verifications or casualty assessments as of late Friday.
Broader Escalation Across Western Yemen
The al-Waziyah incident mirrors a wider pattern of disputed civilian casualties in Taiz province. On September 27, 2026, a separate market strike killed 7 people and wounded 40, with the Houthis blaming coalition jets and government sources claiming the area housed a Houthi military encampment. Another similar market strike was reported on November 2 in al-Misrakh district, though it also lacked independent confirmation.
These local flare-ups coincide with Operation Dawn of Yemen, a major ground offensive launched by government forces on October 5 with full coalition air support. The renewed military campaign has driven significant displacement across al-Jawf, Marib, and Taiz provinces, with the United Nations estimating that approximately 290,000 individuals have been displaced by early November amid simultaneous cross-border missile exchanges between the Houthis and neighboring states.