Saudi Arabia confirms Houthi missile debris fell in Mecca and Medina
Civil defence agencies reported falling shrapnel after intercepting projectiles aimed at the holy cities, while the Yemeni government reported fresh attacks on Aden airport.
By Chioma Kuznetsov ·
Saudi Arabia confirmed on Saturday that two ballistic missiles launched by Houthi forces reached the territories of Mecca and Medina. The civil defence agency warned of falling shrapnel following the interception of the projectiles. Images released by the Saudi Press Agency showed a large, blackened missile fragment that landed within the kingdom.
The Yemeni government’s Transport Ministry reported that two ballistic missiles struck Aden International Airport on Saturday. This marked the fourth such incident at the facility in the current month. Officials stated that the attacks threaten civil aviation safety and carry humanitarian and economic consequences for residents relying on the airport for travel. Yemeni authorities also reported strikes on the coastguard headquarters and a separate building in Aden.
The Houthi group claimed responsibility for hitting the al-Nasr camp and a naval military base in the city. The movement disputed the Saudi claim that it targeted the holy cities. In a statement, the group called the report a "huge lie" and said its 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 Hodeidah on Saturday. Riyadh has not yet issued a formal comment on the alleged raids. In a separate incident on Friday, Yemen’s army announced that a Houthi missile malfunctioned and crashed into a family home in Sanaa, killing three people. The military described this as one of several malfunctions observed from the Iran-backed group in recent weeks.
Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, described the Houthi attacks as heinous in a statement shared 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. Al-Nazili stated that the operations focused on field command centres, weapons depots, and supply lines in Taiz, a region where intense clashes have persisted for days. The figures were not independently verified.
