Saudi-led coalition says it struck Houthi missile facilities
The Saudi-led coalition has destroyed ballistic missile launchers, tunnels and a depot used by Yemen's Houthis to store weapons, as the armed group claimed responsibility for attacks on Saudi infrastructure.
Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki announced on Monday that the operation focused on neutralizing threats, destroying four ballistic missile launchers and five tunnels used by the Houthis to store missiles. The coalition also attacked a missile depot, aiming to cut off Houthi supply lines between areas under their control.
The operation targeted Houthi "fortifications, gatherings of their members, and their military equipment along the front lines inside Yemen," according to al-Maliki's post on X.
Deadly airport attack
The strikes come after a Houthi attack on Riyadh's King Khalid international airport this month killed 13 people and wounded more than 300, marking the deadliest attack on the kingdom in over a decade. The attacks led to the airport's temporary closure, forcing the postponement of Saudi Arabia's flagship investment conference until 2027 and disrupting travel plans for thousands.
The airport reopened and flights resumed on Sunday with the Houthis warning travellers to avoid the facility, calling it a "military target."
Escalating conflict
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the airport attack, stating they struck the target with precision using a ballistic missile. Saree also claimed the group had attacked oil pumping stations in Saudi Arabia with drones and launched additional missile strikes on "enemy" forces in Yemen's Aden and Lahij governorates.
Yemen's war reignited in the summer when the Houthis announced a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia, which intervened in 2015 to restore the internationally recognized government ousted by the Houthis in 2014. A 2022 truce collapsed last month as the Houthis launched an offensive, seizing territory and attacking Saudi facilities.
In response, Yemen's government forces launched "Operation Yemen Dawn" to recapture Houthi-held territory. The conflict has intensified with both sides exchanging strikes, including Saudi air defenses intercepting at least 10 ballistic missiles on Sunday, which caused injuries and damage in the kingdom's south.
International response
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) and agreed to keep a US-made Patriot air defense system in Saudi Arabia. The system, deployed by Greece in 2021, protects energy infrastructure in Yanbu on the Red Sea coast.
Images released by Saudi Arabia's official press agency showed significant damage from the attacks, including destroyed building facades and shattered windows. The kingdom's civil defense agency reported two injuries from falling debris and damage to buildings and vehicles.
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