Houthi missiles land near Saudi holy cities after fresh strikes on Aden

Travelers in Aden face disrupted flights after two ballistic missiles struck the international airport on Saturday. The Yemeni government’s Transport Ministry said this was the fourth missile incident to hit the facility in the current month. Officials stated the strikes threaten civil aviation safety and create economic strain for residents who rely on the airport for travel.

Saudi Arabia’s civil defence agency confirmed on X that Houthi forces launched two ballistic missiles toward Mecca and Medina. The agency warned of falling shrapnel after intercepting the projectiles. Images released by the Saudi Press Agency showed a large, blackened missile-shaped object that landed on Saudi territory.

Houthi forces disputed the official account of their targets. The group stated that they did not aim for the holy cities, calling that claim a huge lie. Instead, the Houthis said their intended targets were three Saudi airports, oil infrastructure, and an airbase.

Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, described the attacks as heinous in a statement shared on Saturday. He said the strikes showed a blatant disregard for the lives and security of civilians.

In Yemen, authorities 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. On Friday, a Houthi missile malfunctioned and crashed into a family home in Sanaa, killing three people.

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

Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV reported that Saudi coalition airstrikes killed several civilians in Sanaa and Hodeidah. The claim has not been independently verified, and Riyadh has not yet issued a formal comment regarding the alleged raids.