Attacks between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi rebels have escalated, killing at least five people, including three children, Al Jazeera reported. Saudi civil defense authorities said that after intercepting a Houthi drone in the southwestern Saudi province of Taif on Thursday, one Yemeni resident was killed and two were injured. The Houthis, meanwhile, stated that Saudi warplanes attacked three telecommunications towers in Taiz province, killing one civilian. Houthi leader Abdel-Malik al-Houthi, in a televised speech on Thursday, denied Saudi accusations that his organization attacked Mecca, calling them "outrageous lies" and "propaganda."

The escalation of the conflict comes as anonymous Iranian sources told Reuters that China had privately asked Iranian officials to help rein in the Houthis after Saudi Arabia made a request to China. Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif also stated that given the recent Houthi attacks, it is time to implement the Mecca agreement reached with Saudi Arabia and Turkey.