Warplanes have carried out more than 30 strikes on the northwestern Yemeni provinces of Saada and Hajja near the border with Saudi Arabia, local officials and residents said.
The air raids occurred after Yemeni rebels fired rockets and mortars into Saudi Arabia, killing at least two civilians and reportedly capturing five soldiers in an attack on the border town of Najran.
Houthi sources told the Reuters news agency that 43 civilians were killed and at least 100 wounded as a result of the air strikes, which lasted until dawn on Wednesday. The figure could not be independently verified.
Local sources also said there was heavy artillery shelling coming from the Saudi border.
Saudi authorities said that armed Houthi fighters carried out attacks on Tuesday in the town of Najran, forcing authorities to suspend all flights at a local airport, and shut down all schools.
Yemen's Foreign Minister Riyadh Yaseen: Bombing necessary despite civilian casualties
In a statement, Saudi Brigadier-General Ahmed Asiri said that Saudi-led coalition forces would respond to the Houthi attack.
"What happened today is part of the chaos that the Houthi militias live with," he said, adding that "all options are open" to the kingdom to ensure its security.
Yemeni tribal leaders told the Associated Press news agency that armed rebel Houthis, shelled the border area from inside Yemen.
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