Houthis launch attacks on Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Aden

In a Facebook post on Saturday, Yemen's Transport Ministry condemned the Houthis' targeting of Aden International Airport with two ballistic missiles, marking the "fourth such attack this month." The ministry warned that these attacks pose "a threat to the safety of civil aviation" and have "humanitarian and economic repercussions for citizens" who rely on the airport.

Saudi targets

Saudi Arabia's civil defense reported on X that the Houthis had launched two ballistic missiles toward Mecca and Medina, warning of "the fall of shrapnel" after their interception. Images shared by the Saudi Press Agency showed a large, blackened missile-shaped object that had landed in Saudi Arabia.

Escalating conflict

Yemeni army spokesman Colonel Majed Abdullah al-Nazili stated that government forces had conducted over 700 "targeting operations" in the past 24 hours across Yemen, claiming to have "neutralized" 300 Houthi fighters and disabled military vehicles. These operations targeted field command centers, Houthi gatherings, weapons depots, and supply lines in Taiz, where intense clashes have continued for days.

The Houthis denied targeting Mecca and Medina, calling it a "huge lie." They claimed their actual targets were three Saudi airports, oil infrastructure, and an airbase. The group has persistently struck Saudi energy infrastructure and airports since the 2022 ceasefire collapsed in July.