In the midst of a growing war between Yemen’s internationally recognised government and the Iran‑allied Houthi movement, the Houthis have publicly denied Saudi Arabia’s accusations that they fired a drone at Islam’s holiest city, Mecca. A Houthi spokesperson dismissed the claim as “Saudi lies,” stating instead that a drone was launched at a pumping station in Yanbu on the Red Sea and that Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport was struck by three cruise missiles.
Saudi‑led coalition forces had earlier reported intercepting three cruise missiles aimed at Riyadh, along with drones directed toward Mecca and the southern regions of the kingdom. The Saudi Civil Defence Authority confirmed that debris from two intercepted ballistic missiles fell in the village of Sabuhah in Mecca province, describing the attacks as a “flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.”
Inside Yemen, fighting has intensified. According to Majed Abdullah al‑Nuzaili, the spokesperson for Yemen’s army, at least 138 Houthi fighters were killed or wounded in a series of targeted attacks. He reported that the Saudi‑backed army executed 773 field artillery strikes, 44 drone attacks, and 37 rocket launches across al‑Jawf, Marib, al‑Bayda, and Taiz governorates. Additionally, coalition forces carried out 23 air strikes that damaged 86 heavy weapons and military vehicles.
Despite these efforts, Houthi attacks on the al‑Buraiqa district in Aden have continued. The district, home to the internationally recognised government’s base, has suffered repeated shelling. Minister of Information Salem al‑Awalqi condemned the assaults, calling them a “pattern of targeting civilians and terrorising innocent people.” He urged that such attacks would only strengthen the resolve of Aden’s residents to defend their city.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed that his forces had “successfully targeted” a Saudi coalition command and control centre in Aden’s al‑Buraiqa district with several ballistic missiles. In a Telegram post, Saree described the facility as responsible for coordinating Saudi military reinforcements across active fronts in Lahij, al‑Dhale, Taiz, and other governorates.
Casualties from the ongoing conflict have risen sharply, with the death toll in Yemen now exceeding 11,000. The situation remains volatile as both sides continue to engage in heavy combat across multiple fronts.
Source: Al Jazeera
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Editorial note: This is an original news report prepared from the attributed source material with AI assistance. It is not a reproduction or translation of the original article.
