Yemeni Army Reports 300 Kills as Missiles Reach Saudi Holy Cities
Government forces claimed 700 operations in 24 hours while Saudi civil defence confirmed debris from intercepted projectiles fell near Mecca and Medina.
By Kevin Iyer ·
The Yemeni army said government forces carried out more than 700 targeting operations in the last 24 hours. Colonel Majed Abdullah al-Nazili, the military spokesman, stated that these actions neutralized 300 Houthi fighters and disabled military vehicles. The operations focused on field command centers, weapons depots, and supply lines in Taiz, a region where clashes have continued for days. Al Jazeera could not independently verify the figures provided by the army.
Simultaneously, Houthi forces launched two ballistic missiles at Aden International Airport on Saturday. The Yemeni Transport Ministry identified this as the fourth such incident in the current month. Officials warned that the strikes threaten civil aviation safety and carry economic consequences for residents who rely on the facility for travel. Yemeni authorities also reported that the coastguard headquarters and another building were hit during the assault.
The Houthi group claimed responsibility for striking the al-Nasr camp and the naval military base in Aden. In a separate incident on Friday, the Yemeni army reported that a Houthi missile malfunctioned and crashed into a family home in Sanaa. The military stated that the accident killed three people and noted it was one of several such malfunctions observed from the Iran-backed group in recent weeks.
Saudi Arabia’s civil defence agency confirmed on X that two ballistic missiles were launched toward Mecca and Medina. The agency warned of falling shrapnel following the interception of the projectiles. Images released by the Saudi Press Agency appeared to show a large, blackened missile-shaped object that had landed within Saudi territory.
Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV reported that Saudi coalition airstrikes killed several civilians in Sanaa and the port city of Hodeidah. The claim has not been independently verified, and Riyadh has not issued a formal comment regarding the alleged raids. Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, described the Houthi attacks as heinous in a statement shared on Saturday.
The Houthi group disputed the official narrative regarding their targets. They called the claim that they aimed at Mecca and Medina a huge lie. Instead, they stated that their intended targets were three Saudi airports, oil infrastructure, and an airbase. Since a fragile ceasefire agreed upon in 2022 collapsed in July, the Houthis have used long-range strikes to target Saudi energy infrastructure and airports across the kingdom.
Intense fighting continues along Yemen’s front lines as Houthi forces battle the internationally recognized government’s troops for control of key areas. The sustained pressure on Saudi infrastructure has become a defining feature of the current phase of the conflict.
