Houthis say airstrikes killed at least 30 at a Taiz market; Yemen's army blames a Houthi missile

An attack on a market in southwestern Yemen killed at least 30 people on Friday, according to an official of the Iran-backed Houthi movement, and the two sides are giving opposite accounts of who carried it out. The Associated Press reports that the Houthi health ministry spokesperson, Anees Alsabahi, said on X that another eight people were wounded at the al-Hadara market in al-Waziyah, in Taiz province. AP's first version of the story said at least 20 dead; the figure was raised to 30 during the day. AP says it could not independently verify either side's claims.

Two accounts

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said three airstrikes hit the market at about 7 a.m. and blamed Saudi Arabia, claiming the aircraft took off from the Khamis Mushait air base. He gave no evidence, AP notes, and Saudi Arabia's information ministry had not responded to requests for comment.

The Yemeni government's side says the opposite. Authorities affiliated with the government in Taiz blamed the Houthis and said no airstrikes were carried out in the area, AP reports. Al Arabiya English reports that Yemen\'s armed forces say the Houthis hit the market with a ballistic missile, with dozens of civilian casualties, and called it a war crime. A provincial media office confirmed an attack and casualties without giving details.

We cannot tell from what has been published which account is right. The death toll comes from one party to the war, and so does each claim of responsibility.

Why Taiz matters

AP describes Taiz as a strategic gateway to southern Yemen. Houthi forces have besieged the provincial capital, where the Saudi-allied government is based, and AP says residents are struggling to get water and food. The report ties the escalation to September, when the Houthis captured the port city of Mokha, which AP calls vital to controlling Red Sea shipping, and tightened their encirclement of Taiz. AP also recalls last month\'s Houthi ballistic missile strike on a military camp in Shabwa that killed at least 75 soldiers, which the rebels acknowledged. We reported a similar disputed market attack in al-Hazm on October 28.

What it means for markets

Oil. We found no sign that this attack moved crude. Yahoo Finance data read about 1:07 p.m. ET show December WTI at $89.94, down 0.6% from Thursday\'s $90.52, and front-month Brent at $97.34, down 1.0% from $98.29. Oil\'s week has been driven by Iran, not Yemen; see our War Room brief.

Shipping and insurance. The Mokha capture is the Red Sea link: a Houthi grip on that coast is a risk for war-risk premiums on vessels using the route, though we have no new shipping incident to report today. Airlines and airspace. The airlines ETF (JETS) was at $28.65, up 1.0% from $28.36 Thursday. Defense. The defense ETF (ITA) was at $68.92, up 1.2% from $68.11. Gold and volatility. Gold futures were at $4,068.60, down 1.1% from $4,113.50, and the VIX at 26.06 against 28.18 Thursday. US consumers. Nothing in Friday\'s Yemen reporting changes pump prices; those follow crude, and crude is lower this week.

What to watch: a statement from Saudi Arabia or the coalition, any independent count of the dead, and whether UN agencies comment on access to Taiz.

More: crude oil chart, War Room.

Sources: Associated Press, Al Arabiya English, Yahoo Finance (prices about 1:07 p.m. ET; percentages are our arithmetic). Casualty figures and claims of responsibility are the parties\' own and unverified. This is market information, not investment advice.