Yemeni Army Reports 700 Operations as Houthi Missiles Reach Saudi Holy Cities

The collapse of the 2022 ceasefire has intensified cross-border trade risks and infrastructure damage in the Red Sea region. On Saturday, Houthi forces launched a new series of ballistic missiles at Saudi Arabia and Aden, the capital of Yemen's internationally recognized government.

The Yemeni Transport Ministry stated on Facebook that two ballistic missiles struck Aden International Airport. This incident marks the fourth attack on the facility in the current month. Officials noted that the strikes pose a direct threat to civil aviation safety and carry substantial economic and humanitarian consequences for residents who rely on the airport for travel.

Yemeni authorities reported that the assault also hit the coastguard headquarters and another building in Aden. The Houthi group claimed responsibility for damaging the al-Nasr camp and a naval military base in the same city. In Sanaa, a city under Houthi control, a malfunctioning missile crashed into a family home on Friday, killing three people. The Yemeni army identified this as one of several recent weapon failures attributed to the Iran-backed group.

Saudi Arabia's civil defence agency confirmed on social media that it intercepted two ballistic missiles heading toward Mecca and Medina. The agency warned of falling shrapnel, and images from the Saudi Press Agency showed a large, blackened missile fragment inside Saudi territory. Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, called the attacks heinous in a statement, saying they showed a blatant disregard for civilian security. The Houthis disputed the target locations, stating they aimed for three airports, oil infrastructure, and an airbase.

Colonel Majed Abdullah al-Nazili, a Yemeni army spokesman, reported that government forces conducted more than 700 targeting operations in the 24 hours prior to Saturday. He claimed these operations neutralized 300 Houthi fighters and disabled military vehicles, though Al Jazeera could not independently verify the figures. The military focus was on field command centers, weapons depots, and supply lines in Taiz, where clashes have persisted for days.