Yemen Conflict: Saudi Forces Strike Houthi Missile Sites

Thousands of travelers resumed flights at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Sunday. The facility reopened after a temporary closure forced the postponement of Saudi Arabia’s flagship investment conference to 2027. The airport had been targeted in the deadliest attack on the kingdom in more than a decade, which killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.

The Saudi-led coalition announced on Monday that it carried out a military operation to neutralize threats. Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki stated that forces destroyed four ballistic missile launchers and five tunnels used by the Houthis to store missiles. Al-Maliki added that the operation focused on cutting off supply lines between areas controlled by the militia. He said strikes also targeted fortifications, gatherings of members, and military equipment along front lines inside Yemen.

The Houthi group, also known as Ansar Allah, claimed new attacks on infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree posted on social media that the group attacked the Riyadh airport with a ballistic missile. Al-Maliki said Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched toward the capital. Saree also claimed drones struck oil pumping stations in Saudi Arabia. In a separate statement, he said ballistic missiles hit weapons depots and forces in the Salah al-Din area of Aden governorate and the al-Wahat area of Lahij governorate.

The conflict escalated after a 2022 truce collapsed last month. The Houthis launched a rapid offensive and seized much of Yemen’s Red Sea coast from government forces. They also began attacking Saudi energy facilities and airports. This followed a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia announced in the summer. The war reignited in 2015 when Saudi Arabia led a coalition to restore the internationally recognized government that the Houthis ousted in 2014.

Yemen’s government forces launched Operation Yemen Dawn this month to recapture territory held by the Houthis. As airport operations resumed, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Mitsotakis agreed to keep a Patriot air defense system in Saudi Arabia. His office said the Greek leader responded favorably to the request given the challenging circumstances. The US-made system was deployed by Greece in 2021 to protect energy infrastructure in Yanbu on the Red Sea coast.

The Saudi-led coalition reported that air defenses intercepted at least 10 ballistic missiles on Sunday. The kingdom’s civil defense agency said two people were injured in the south by falling debris. The agency reported damage to several buildings and vehicles. Official press agency images showed a building with its upper facade destroyed and metal rods exposed. Another image showed large windows shattered with glass shards strewn across the pavement and road.