YEMEN: A Yemen market explosion sent shoppers fleeing near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on September 21, as opposing sides issued conflicting claims about what caused the blast.
Anadolu Agency cited local sources as saying a ballistic missile struck a crowded market in the Dhubab area of southwestern Taiz province. Video circulating online showed a large explosion followed by thick smoke and dust.
However, other local reporting placed the blast at a qat market in Ras al-Arah in neighbouring Lahj province. Those reports likewise said the market lies close to the strategic Bab el-Mandeb waterway.
Media aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government blamed the Houthis, alleging that the group fired a missile toward the market.
🚨⚠️ BREAKING: HOUTHI MISSILE STRIKE REPORTEDLY HITS MARKET
A ballistic missile reportedly struck a crowded market in the Bab al-Mandab area, with accusations that the Houthis are attempting to shift blame onto the Yemeni Air Force.
📌 The footage is being cited as evidence of… pic.twitter.com/MnFeuLBLSb
— 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫 (@dread_watcher) September 21, 2026Houthi-linked accounts instead claimed a Saudi airstrike caused the explosion. Neither account had been independently established in the initial reporting.
Read: Riyadh Missile Attack Intercepted After Houthi Strikes
No confirmed casualty figure was immediately available. Initial local reports said there were no casualties, but independent confirmation had not emerged.
The blast came during renewed fighting around Yemen’s western coast. Government and Houthi forces have exchanged attacks in Taiz and Lahj this month as fighting intensified around approaches to Bab el-Mandeb.
Read: Saudi F-15 Downing Claim Remains Unconfirmed in Yemen
Bab el-Mandeb links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and is a major international shipping route. Recent fighting has brought parts of Yemen’s coastline and nearby islands under increased military pressure.
