Missile strike hits the city of Saada in northern Yemen, Houthi-affiliated media report

A missile strike has hit the city of Saada in northern Yemen, the Houthi-affiliated outlet al-Masriah reports, as Al Jazeera reports in its live blog on the U.S.–Iran war.

According to al-Masriah, the strike comes after Yemen’s government forces announced that they were hitting “vital legitimate military targets” in the capital Sanaa, where loud explosions were heard earlier today.

Saada, a traditional stronghold of the Houthi movement, has repeatedly been targeted by air strikes, including a strike on the telecommunications network that the Houthis use for communication.

The escalation of fighting in Yemen is being accompanied by warnings that the sides are preparing for a major military operation in the coming days.