Houthi fighters have launched attacks on targets in Saudi Arabia and Aden, the seat of Yemen’s internationally recognised government, with missiles reportedly striking the Yemeni city’s airport and a coastguard base.
Yemen’s Transport Ministry said Aden International Airport had been hit by two ballistic missiles, describing it as the fourth such attack on the facility this month. It warned that the strikes threatened civil aviation and could have “humanitarian and economic repercussions for citizens”.
Yemeni authorities said the coastguard headquarters and another building were also damaged. The Houthis, meanwhile, claimed to have targeted the al-Nasr camp and Aden’s naval military base.
Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s civil defence said two ballistic missiles had been launched towards Mecca and Medina. It said the missiles were intercepted, warning of falling shrapnel.
Images released by the Saudi Press Agency appeared to show a large, blackened missile-shaped object that had landed somewhere in the country. The Houthis rejected the claim that they had targeted the two holiest cities in Islam, calling it a “huge lie”.
The group said instead that it had targeted three Saudi airports, oil infrastructure and an airbase. Houthi forces have continued to target Saudi energy facilities and airports with long-range strikes since a fragile ceasefire agreed in 2022 collapsed in July.
Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, condemned the attacks as “heinous”, saying they showed “a blatant disregard for the lives and security of civilians”.
The Houthi-run Al-Masirah television channel also alleged that Saudi coalition air strikes had killed several civilians in Sanaa and the port city of Hodeidah. The claim could not be independently verified, and Riyadh has not commented on the alleged raids.
Yemen’s army said a Houthi missile killed three people after malfunctioning and landing on a family home in Houthi-held Sanaa on Friday. It said the incident was one of several missile failures involving the Iran-backed group in recent weeks.
Fighting continues across Yemen
Intense clashes have continued along Yemen’s front lines as Houthi forces fight troops loyal to the internationally recognised government for control of key areas.
Colonel Majed Abdullah al-Nazili, a Yemeni army spokesman, said government forces had carried out more than 700 operations during the previous 24 hours. He claimed the attacks had neutralised 300 Houthi fighters and disabled military vehicles, though those figures could not be independently verified.
The operations targeted field command centres, gatherings of Houthi fighters, weapons depots and supply routes in Taiz, where heavy fighting has continued for several days.
