Dramatic footage appears to capture Houthi rebels battling Saudi-backed forces in a desert clash likened to a scene from Mad Max.
Videos circulating online are believed to show Iran-supported fighters pursuing pro-Saudi troops across a remote, barren stretch of Yemen, although the precise location has not been disclosed.
A convoy of Saudi-backed armoured vehicles is seen moving across the desert as it appears to attempt a charge toward Houthi positions.
In one particularly graphic sequence, an explosion sends what appears to be a body spinning through the air before it crashes onto the ground.
Several armoured trucks, including vehicles fitted with mounted machine guns, are also shown overturned after apparently being hit by explosives. The blasts may have come from rocket-propelled grenades or an air strike.
Another clip shows a pickup speeding over the sand, throwing the soldiers riding in its open rear violently up and down. One fighter is eventually flung from the vehicle as it continues racing away.
The chaotic desert pursuit evokes Mad Max: Fury Road, the 2015 film starring Tom Hardy, which follows rebels fighting a tyrant in a bleak, post-apocalyptic world where water is scarce.
The fighting is part of Yemen’s long-running conflict, which escalated after a Saudi-led coalition intervened militarily in the country in 2015.
Footage is believed to show Iran-backed fighters pursuing Yemen’s pro-Saudi forces across the desert in scenes compared with the action of Mad Max
The video appears to show multiple vehicles being hit by explosives. Pictured: A military vehicle burns in the desert after being destroyed
Houthi fighters launch mortar fire at Saudi-backed forces in the desert
The Saudi-led intervention began after Yemen’s president, Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, was forced from power by the Houthis, an armed political and religious movement rooted in the Shia Muslim community.
The Houthis receive support from Iran, a predominantly Shia nation, while most Muslims in Saudi Arabia and Yemen belong to the Sunni branch of Islam.
The footage emerged as reports said Saudi Arabia had rejected an offer of Israeli assistance in its campaign against the Houthis.
Israel was reportedly prepared to join Riyadh’s counteroffensive, while Donald Trump suggested that the United States could also become involved.
However, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is said to have declined Israel’s support over concerns that cooperation could trigger a backlash among the Saudi public, according to Haaretz.
The newspaper cited a diplomatic source who said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wanted to deepen relations with the kingdom as Saudi forces continued fighting the Iran-backed Houthis and US-Israeli strikes against Tehran persisted.
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The reports followed several missile attacks by the rebels on Riyadh over the weekend. In response, Mr Trump indicated that Washington might join a potential Saudi counteroffensive.
The US president described the Crown Prince as a “good friend” last month.
One video shows a soldier being thrown from the back of a pickup as it hurtles across the sand at high speed
The battle resembles scenes from the 2015 blockbuster Mad Max: Fury Road
Surveillance footage shows the moment the passenger terminal at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was attacked on Saturday
Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the weekend attacks, which killed a total of 14 and left more than 300 injured
A thick black column of smoke and flames could be seen rising from airport buildings
The wreckage of the Saudia Airlines plane at King Khalid International following an attack on Thursday
When asked by reporters over the weekend about the momentum that Houthi fighters were gaining in Yemen, he said: ‘Everything is gonna work out fine and dandy. It’s gonna be very good.’
And when quizzed about US involvement in the conflict, the President said he is ‘going to look at it’.
The Houthis launched several missile strikes on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, which left dozens killed and hundreds more injured.
The unrelenting attacks on the Saudi capital reportedly forced a terrified Crown Prince into hiding below ground.
Citing officials, the Wall Street Journal reported: ‘The 41-year-old Crown Prince is shuttling between heavily guarded palaces equipped with bunkers and is guarded by a handpicked security team.’
The Crown Prince was last seen in public last Tuesday, when he gave blood in a bid to support a national donation drive.
The ‘Mad Max-style’ scenes come just days after footage showed Saudi-led coalition soldiers mowing down Houthi fighters in armoured trucks.
Last week’s video appeared to show surrendering rebels being struck down as the soldiers inside the vehicles shouted ‘Allahu Akbar.’
