At least five children were among the wounded. The strike hit shops near the Mawiya junction, although the casualties and target could not be independently verified. Yemeni government forces said they had instead targeted a Houthi military position and vehicles in the area.

The attack comes amid a major escalation in Yemen’s war, with Houthi forces advancing along the Red Sea coast towards Bab al-Mandab, a crucial shipping route. Saudi Arabia has responded with hundreds of airstrikes, according to the Houthis, who said 27 strikes were carried out across six provinces in the previous 24 hours.

The renewed fighting has killed nearly 700 people and displaced more than 130,000, according to the UN. Saudi Arabia said it also intercepted two Houthi drones heading towards Riyadh on Saturday.