Houthi missiles hit Saudi heartland and Aden airport
New strikes on Mecca, Medina, and Yemen’s capital port mark a sharp escalation in the region's ongoing conflict.
By Marco Vargas ·
The conflict in Yemen has intensified as Houthi forces launched a coordinated series of attacks across the Red Sea region on Saturday. The barrage targeted key sites in Saudi Arabia and Aden, the administrative capital of Yemen.
Saudi civil defence officials confirmed that two ballistic missiles were fired toward Mecca and Medina. The projectiles were intercepted, but shrapnel fell within the kingdom's borders. Images from the Saudi Press Agency showed a large, blackened missile fragment resting on Saudi soil. The Houthis rejected the official narrative, stating their true targets were three airports, oil infrastructure, and an airbase rather than the holy cities.
In Aden, the Yemeni Transport Ministry reported that two ballistic missiles struck the International Airport. This incident marks the fourth missile attack on the facility in the current month. Authorities also indicated that the coastguard headquarters and a separate building were hit. The Houthi group claimed responsibility for striking the al-Nasr camp and the naval military base in the city.
On the ground in Yemen, fighting remains heavy. Colonel Majed Abdullah al-Nazili, a spokesman for the Yemeni army, stated that government troops executed more than 700 targeting operations in the last 24 hours. He said these actions resulted in the neutralization of 300 Houthi fighters and the destruction of military vehicles, specifically in the Taiz region. Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV claimed that Saudi airstrikes killed several civilians in Sanaa and Hodeidah, though Riyadh has not yet commented on the raids.
This escalation follows the collapse of a fragile ceasefire agreed upon in 2022, which ended in July. Since then, the Iran-backed group has maintained pressure on Saudi energy and aviation infrastructure. The Gulf Cooperation Council described the new attacks as a blatant disregard for civilian safety. Meanwhile, a Houthi missile malfunctioned and crashed into a family home in Sanaa on Friday, killing three residents.
Source: Al Jazeera
