Saudi airstrikes across Yemen have killed at least 12 civilians, including children, and wounded 33 others in attacks on residential areas in Taiz and Dhamar, according to Yemeni reports, as Sana’a condemned the continued bombardment and called for international action to protect civilians.

Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, said on Saturday that Saudi warplanes had launched 53 attacks on sites across Yemen over the preceding 24 hours, targeting the capital, Sanaa, and the governorates of Taiz, Ibb, Lahj, Saada and Amran.

Saree said the attacks were carried out by F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets operating from the Khamis Mushait and Taif air bases, causing numerous casualties, most of them women and children.

He added that the total number of Saudi airstrikes and missile attacks had reached 2,542 since the latest escalation began.

In a separate statement, Saree announced that Yemeni forces had shot down a Saudi Apache helicopter near Najran using what he described as an appropriate weapon. The claim has not been independently verified.

The latest reported attacks have inflicted a devastating toll on civilian communities, with residential homes, farmland and essential agricultural infrastructure among the sites struck.

In the Hamir al-Jabal area of Taiz’s Maqbanah district, four Saudi airstrikes on Saturday killed nine civilians, including a young girl, and wounded 16 others, according to local sources cited by Yemen’s Saba News Agency.

Several people were reportedly trapped beneath the rubble of destroyed homes as rescue efforts continued, raising fears that the death toll could rise further.

In Dhamar, Saudi aircraft struck homes and agricultural land in the villages of al-Ar and Barza’a in Dawran Anis district overnight, killing three children and injuring 17 other civilians.

Seven of the wounded were children, while three were women, including a pregnant woman who reportedly suffered a miscarriage following the attack.

The bombardment also killed dozens of livestock and damaged solar-powered agricultural installations, dealing another blow to rural families whose livelihoods have already been undermined by years of conflict and economic hardship.

For affected communities, the destruction extends beyond the immediate loss of life, threatening food production, household income and the ability of families to recover from repeated attacks.

Local authorities in Dhamar accused Saudi forces of using internationally prohibited cluster munitions during the bombardment, describing the alleged use of such weapons as a grave violation of international humanitarian law.

They held Riyadh responsible for the reported civilian casualties and called on the United Nations and international humanitarian organisations to intervene, protect Yemen’s population and help prevent further attacks.

Cluster munitions pose particular dangers to civilians because unexploded submunitions can remain hazardous long after an attack. The allegations concerning their use in Dhamar have not been independently verified.

The reported strikes have intensified concerns over the protection of Yemen’s civilian population, particularly children, women and families living in rural communities far from adequate emergency services.

Yemeni officials say the scale of the bombardment demands greater international attention, accountability for attacks affecting civilians and concrete measures to prevent further loss of life.

The latest reported casualties underscore the continuing human cost of the conflict and the vulnerability of communities caught in the path of airstrikes.

The deaths of children, the destruction of homes and the damage to agricultural resources have renewed calls for the protection of civilians and respect for international humanitarian law.

Yemen’s humanitarian crisis has been compounded by years of conflict, economic disruption and damage to essential infrastructure. Further attacks on residential and agricultural areas risk deepening the hardship faced by families already struggling to secure food, healthcare and other basic necessities.

As rescue efforts continue in Taiz and Dhamar, calls for international intervention have grown, with local authorities urging the United Nations and humanitarian organisations to take urgent steps to protect civilians and prevent further escalation.

The reported attacks highlight the urgent need for accountability, civilian protection and a political path capable of ending the cycle of violence and bringing lasting peace to Yemen. (ILKHA)