Saudi Arabia confirms two Houthi ballistic missiles reached Mecca and Medina

Saudi Arabia confirmed on Saturday that two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi movement reached the territories of Mecca and Medina. The civil defence agency stated that shrapnel fell after the projectiles were intercepted. Images released by the Saudi Press Agency showed a large, blackened missile-shaped object that landed within the kingdom.

The strikes followed a Houthi assault on Aden International Airport earlier in the day. Yemen’s Transport Ministry said two ballistic missiles hit the facility, marking the fourth attack on the airport this month. Officials warned that the repeated strikes threaten civil aviation safety and carry economic consequences for residents who rely on the airport. The ministry also reported damage to the coastguard headquarters and another building in the city.

Houthi forces claimed responsibility for hitting the al-Nasr camp and a naval military base in Aden. The group disputed the Saudi narrative, calling the claim that they targeted the holiest cities of Islam a huge lie. Houthi officials said their intended targets were three Saudi airports, oil infrastructure, and an airbase.

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

Al-Nazili noted that the military observed several missile malfunctions from the Iran-backed group in recent weeks. On Friday, a Houthi missile crashed into a family home in Sanaa, killing three people. The city remains under Houthi control.

Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV reported that Saudi coalition airstrikes killed several civilians in Sanaa and the port city of Hodeidah on Saturday. The claim has not been independently verified, and Riyadh has not issued a formal comment. Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, described the Houthi attacks as heinous, saying the strikes showed a blatant disregard for civilian security.

The escalation follows the collapse of a fragile ceasefire in July 2022. Since then, the Houthis have used long-range strikes to pressure Saudi energy infrastructure and airports, a tactic that defines the current phase of the conflict.