Saudi coalition claims destruction of nine Houthi missile sites

Saudi-led coalition forces destroyed four ballistic missile launchers and five underground tunnels belonging to the Houthi movement in a military operation announced on Monday. Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki stated that the strikes were designed to neutralize sources of threat and cut off supply lines between areas controlled by the armed group.

The operation targeted Houthi infrastructure in both Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Al-Maliki said coalition forces also attacked a missile depot. The strikes focused on fortifications, military equipment, and gatherings of Houthi members along the front lines inside Yemen.

The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, have launched a series of attacks on Saudi infrastructure in recent weeks. This escalation followed the collapse of a 2022 truce that had paused much of the fighting in Yemen's civil war. The conflict reignited in the summer when the Houthis announced a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has supported the internationally recognized government, which the Houthis ousted from the capital Sanaa in 2014.

A major Houthi attack on Riyadh's King Khalid international airport this month killed 13 people and wounded more than 300. It was the deadliest attack on the kingdom in over a decade. The strike forced the temporary closure of the airport and led to the postponement of Saudi Arabia's flagship investment conference until 2027. Flights resumed on Sunday, although the Houthis warned travelers to avoid the facility by calling it a military target.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed his group attacked the airport again on Monday with a ballistic missile. He said the missile struck the target with precision. Al-Maliki countered that Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed the ballistic missile launched toward Riyadh. Saree also claimed that drones struck oil pumping stations in Saudi Arabia. In a separate statement, he asserted responsibility for ballistic missile attacks on enemy forces and weapons depots in Yemen. He identified the targets as positions in the Salah al-Din area of Aden governorate and the al-Wahat area of Lahij governorate.

Yemen's government forces launched a counteroffensive called Operation Yemen Dawn this month to recapture territory held by the Houthis. The Houthis seized much of Yemen's Red Sea coast from government forces in a rapid offensive last month. They also attacked Saudi energy facilities and airports during the same period.

As operations resumed at the Riyadh airport, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The two leaders discussed a US-made Patriot air defense system. Mitsotakis' office said the Greek prime minister agreed to keep the system in Saudi Arabia given the current circumstances. Greece deployed the battery in 2021 to protect energy infrastructure in Yanbu on the Red Sea coast.

The Saudi-led coalition said air defenses intercepted at least 10 ballistic missiles on Sunday. The kingdom's civil defense agency reported that two people were injured in the south by falling debris. The agency also recorded damage to several buildings and vehicles. Official images showed a building with part of its upper facade destroyed and large windows shattered.

The Houthi offensive has disrupted travel plans for thousands of passengers and intensified the regional conflict. The Saudi intervention, which began in 2015, aims to restore the internationally recognized government. The current phase of the war involves sustained aerial bombardment and missile exchanges between the coalition and the Houthi forces.