Saudi Coalition Strikes Houthi Missile Sites and Supply Lines

A Saudi-led coalition announced on Monday that its forces successfully hit Houthi missile facilities in a new military push to neutralize threats. The group fighting Yemen's Houthis claims it destroyed four ballistic missile launchers, five storage tunnels, and a dedicated depot used by the armed faction to keep weapons ready for attack. Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki stated these actions were taken as the Houthi militia claimed responsibility for recent strikes against infrastructure across both Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

In a message posted on X, Mr. Maliki added that the operation specifically aimed to sever supply lines connecting areas currently held by the rebels. His post also listed other targets including Houthi fortifications, member gatherings, and military equipment positioned along front lines inside Yemen. The coalition insists these moves are necessary responses to a wave of strikes launched in recent weeks against Saudi airports and other critical infrastructure sites.

The Houthis, who also identify themselves as Ansar Allah or Supporters of God, continue to conduct operations that put regional stability at risk for many communities. Officials from states involved in the Mecca pact have already signaled they will hold talks in Iran amidst these rising regional tensions. Meanwhile, Saudi air defenses recently intercepted another barrage near Mecca while Yemen's hospital in Taiz warns its building could collapse within days due to the ongoing siege.

Following a sharp escalation in Yemen's conflict, Saudi Arabia stands firm as it backs the internationally recognized government against the Houthis. This week, Riyadh suffered its worst assault in over ten years when a Houthi strike on King Khalid International airport killed 13 people and injured more than 300 others. The carnage forced a temporary shutdown of the terminal, pushed back the kingdom's major investment conference until 2027, and scrambled travel plans for thousands. Flights restarted Sunday, but Houthis warned passengers to stay away, branding the site a "military target."

The Houthi front claims credit for the strike with new details emerging Monday. Spokesman Yahya Saree posted that they hit the airport "with a ballistic missile, striking the target with precision," asserting the attack was accurate. In contrast, Saudi civil defense chief Mohammed al-Maliki stated on Monday that local air defenses intercepted and destroyed the incoming rocket fired by the terrorist Houthi militia toward Riyadh. Saree further alleged drone strikes on oil pumping stations within Saudi borders. He also took responsibility for additional ballistic missile attacks against enemy forces and weapon depots inside Yemen, specifically targeting positions in the Salah al-Din district of Aden governorate and the al-Wahat area of Lahij governorate.

The current crisis reignited when Houthis declared a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia this summer, prompting intervention from Riyadh to support the coalition that began in 2015 to restore ousted government leaders pushed out of Sanaa by the Houthis in 2014. A truce signed in 2022 had mostly stopped the bloodshed until it collapsed last month. That breakdown allowed Houthis to launch a lightning offensive, seizing much of Yemen's Red Sea coast from government troops and striking Saudi energy assets and airports. Yemeni forces recently began "Operation Yemen Dawn" to recapture lands held by the rebels.

As operations restarted at Riyadh airport, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss a vital air defense system. Mitsotakis responded favorably to the kingdom's plea to keep the Patriot system in Saudi Arabia given these challenging circumstances, his office noted. This battery of US-made equipment arrived from Greece in 2021 and guards energy infrastructure at Yanbu on the Red Sea coast. Sunday reports from the Saudi-led coalition said air defenses shot down at least 10 ballistic missiles. Civil defense officials reported two injuries in the south from falling debris and damage to several buildings and vehicles. Press images showed a structure with its upper facade destroyed, revealing metal rods inside, while another shot captured large windows shattered and glass shards scattered across the pavement and road.