Coalition strikes Yemen missile sites

Yemen’s war intensified on Monday as the Saudi-led coalition announced a new wave of airstrikes against Houthi military infrastructure. The strikes came just one day after Riyadh’s main international airport reopened following a temporary closure caused by a deadly missile attack earlier this month.

Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki stated that military forces destroyed four ballistic missile launchers and five tunnels used for missile storage. In a post on the social media platform X, he added that the operation targeted a missile depot. He said the mission focused on cutting off Houthi supply lines between areas under their control.

The operation also hit Houthi fortifications and military equipment along front lines inside Yemen. Al-Maliki described the goal of the campaign as an effort to neutralise sources of threat. The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, have carried out frequent strikes against Saudi airports and infrastructure in recent weeks.

This escalation follows the collapse of a 2022 truce last month. Houthi forces launched a rapid offensive that seized much of Yemen’s Red Sea coast from government troops. They also began attacking Saudi energy facilities and airports. In response, Yemen’s government forces started a counteroffensive this month called Operation Yemen Dawn to recapture lost territory.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed the group attacked the Riyadh airport again on Monday. He said a ballistic missile struck the target with precision. Saree also claimed drone strikes on oil pumping stations in Saudi Arabia. In a separate statement, he said the Houthis targeted positions in the Salah al-Din area of Aden governorate and the al-Wahat area of Lahij governorate.

Al-Maliki disputed the success of the airport strike. He said Saudi air defences intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi militia towards Riyadh. On Sunday, the coalition reported that air defences intercepted at least 10 ballistic missiles. The kingdom’s civil defence agency said two people were injured in the south by falling debris. It also reported damage to several buildings and vehicles.

The initial attack on King Khalid international airport this month killed 13 people and wounded more than 300. It was the deadliest attack on the kingdom in more than a decade. The closure forced the postponement of Saudi Arabia’s flagship investment conference until 2027. It also disrupted travel plans for thousands of passengers before flights resumed on Sunday.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman while the airport was reopening. His office said Mitsotakis agreed to keep a US-made Patriot air defence system in Saudi Arabia. That battery, deployed by Greece in 2021, protects energy infrastructure in Yanbu on the Red Sea coast.