Houthi missiles reach Saudi holy cities and Aden airport

Two ballistic missiles fired by Houthi forces reached Saudi Arabia on Saturday, according to the country's civil defence agency. The agency confirmed on X that the projectiles were intercepted but warned that shrapnel fell in the areas around Mecca and Medina. Images from the Saudi Press Agency showed a large, blackened missile fragment resting on the ground within the kingdom's borders.

Saudi Arabia is not the only target of the new wave of attacks. Yemen's Transport Ministry stated on Facebook that two ballistic missiles struck Aden International Airport on Saturday. This marks the fourth time the facility has been hit in the current month. The ministry said the strikes jeopardize civil aviation and carry economic consequences for residents who rely on the airport for travel.

Houthi forces claimed responsibility for hitting the al-Nasr camp and a naval military base in Aden. Yemeni authorities also reported that the coastguard headquarters and another building took damage during the assault. The group disputed the official narrative regarding its targets in Saudi Arabia. It called the claim that it aimed at the holiest cities in Islam a huge lie, saying instead that it targeted three airports, oil infrastructure, and an airbase.

Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, called the attacks heinous. He said the strikes showed a blatant disregard for the lives and security of civilians. Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV reported on Saturday that Saudi coalition airstrikes killed several civilians in Sanaa and the port city of Hodeidah. Riyadh has not yet issued a formal comment on those alleged raids.

Missile malfunctions have also caused damage within Houthi-controlled areas. Yemen's army announced on Friday that a Houthi missile crashed into a family home in Sanaa, killing three people. The military said this was one of several malfunctions observed from the Iran-backed group in recent weeks.

Colonel Majed Abdullah al-Nazili, a Yemeni army spokesman, said government forces conducted more than 700 targeting operations over the previous 24 hours. He claimed these operations neutralized 300 Houthi fighters and disabled military vehicles. The spokesman added that the operations focused on field command centres, weapons depots, and supply lines in the Taiz region, where intense clashes have persisted for days.

The conflict has intensified since a fragile ceasefire agreed in 2022 collapsed in July. The Houthis have used long-range strikes to target Saudi energy infrastructure and airports as a defining feature of the current phase of the war.