Coalition destroys nine Houthi targets in latest Yemen strikes
Four launchers and five tunnels were hit as Riyadh airport reopened and new missile attacks claimed.
By Lily Carter ·
Saudi-led coalition forces destroyed four ballistic missile launchers and five storage tunnels in Yemen on Monday, according to spokesman Turki al-Maliki. The military operation aimed to neutralize threat sources and cut supply lines between Houthi-controlled areas. Al-Maliki stated that coalition aircraft also struck a missile depot and targeted fortifications and equipment along the front lines.
The Houthis, who call themselves Ansar Allah, claimed their own attacks on Saudi infrastructure on the same day. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group fired a ballistic missile at Riyadh’s King Khalid international airport. Saree described the strike as a precision hit on the facility. Al-Maliki responded that Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile heading toward the capital.
Saree also claimed drone attacks on oil pumping stations in Saudi Arabia. In a separate statement, he said Houthi forces launched ballistic missiles at weapons depots and enemy positions in Yemen. The targeted areas included the Salah al-Din region of Aden governorate and the al-Wahat area of Lahij governorate.
The renewed fighting follows a major escalation in the Yemen war. The Houthis announced a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia this summer, reigniting conflict that had paused under a 2022 truce. That truce collapsed last month, prompting a Houthi offensive that seized parts of the Red Sea coast. Yemen’s government launched the Operation Yemen Dawn counteroffensive this month to recapture territory.
Riyadh’s airport reopened on Sunday after a temporary closure. The shutdown followed a Houthi strike earlier this month that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300. It was the deadliest attack on Saudi Arabia in over a decade. The closure forced Saudi Arabia to postpone its flagship investment conference until 2027 and disrupted travel for thousands. The Houthis warned travelers to avoid the airport, calling it a military target.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman while the airport resumed operations. The two leaders discussed a Patriot air defense system deployed in Saudi Arabia by Greece in 2021. The system protects energy infrastructure in Yanbu on the Red Sea coast. Mitsotakis’ office said he responded favorably to Saudi requests to keep the system in place given current conditions.
The coalition said air defenses intercepted at least 10 ballistic missiles on Sunday. The kingdom’s civil defense agency reported two people injured by falling debris in the south. Several buildings and vehicles sustained damage. Official images showed a building with its upper facade destroyed and metal rods exposed. Shattered glass covered pavement and part of a nearby road.
Source: Al Jazeera
