Saudi Arabia confirms Houthi missiles reached Mecca and Medina

Saudi Arabia confirmed on Saturday that two ballistic missiles launched by Yemen’s Houthi forces traveled as far as the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The civil defence agency stated on the social media platform X that the projectiles were intercepted, leaving behind falling shrapnel. Images distributed by the Saudi Press Agency showed a large, blackened missile fragment resting on Saudi soil.

The attack occurred alongside fresh strikes in Aden, the capital of Yemen’s internationally recognized government. The Transport Ministry reported that two ballistic missiles hit Aden International Airport. This marks the fourth time the facility has been targeted in the current month. Officials warned that the repeated strikes threaten civil aviation and disrupt travel for citizens who rely on the airport.

Yemeni authorities also reported that the coastguard headquarters and another building in Aden sustained damage. The Houthi group claimed responsibility for hitting the al-Nasr camp and a naval military base. In a separate incident on Friday, the Yemeni army said a malfunctioning Houthi missile crashed into a family home in Sanaa, killing three people. The military noted that such malfunctions have occurred several times in recent weeks.

The Houthi leadership disputed the Saudi narrative regarding their targets. They rejected the claim that they aimed at Mecca and Medina, calling it a lie. Instead, they stated their intended targets were three Saudi airports, oil infrastructure, and an airbase. Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV reported that Saudi coalition airstrikes killed several civilians in Sanaa and the port city of Hodeidah, a claim Riyadh has not yet formally addressed.

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

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