Yemeni Army reports 300 Houthi deaths as missiles hit Aden airport and reach Mecca

More than 700 targeting operations occurred over the past 24 hours, according to Colonel Majed Abdullah al-Nazili, a spokesman for the Yemeni army. He stated that these actions resulted in the neutralization of 300 Houthi fighters and the disabling of various military vehicles. The army could not be independently verified on these specific numbers, but the figures represent the highest single-day count reported in the current phase of the conflict.

The escalation began when the fragile ceasefire agreed upon in 2022 collapsed in July. Since that date, Houthi forces have consistently employed long-range strikes to pressure Saudi energy infrastructure and airports. This pattern of sustained pressure has defined the recent trajectory of the war. The fighting intensified further as government troops engaged Houthi units for control of key areas along the front lines, particularly in the Taiz region.

In Aden, the seat of Yemen’s internationally recognized government, two ballistic missiles hit International Airport on Saturday. The Transport Ministry described this as the fourth such incident in the current month. The ministry stated that the attacks threaten civil aviation safety and carry humanitarian and economic consequences for citizens. Yemeni authorities also reported strikes on the coastguard headquarters and another building. The Houthi group claimed responsibility for hitting the al-Nasr camp and the naval military base in the city.

A separate incident on Friday saw a Houthi missile malfunction and crash into a family home in Sanaa, a city under Houthi control. The military announced that three people died in the explosion. Officials noted that this was one of several missile malfunctions observed from the Iran-backed group in recent weeks. Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV reported that Saudi coalition airstrikes killed several civilians in Sanaa and the port city of Hodeidah on Saturday, though Riyadh has not yet issued a formal comment on the raids.

Saudi Arabia’s civil defence agency confirmed on X that the Houthis launched two ballistic missiles toward Mecca and Medina. The agency warned of falling shrapnel after intercepting the projectiles. Images released by the Saudi Press Agency showed a large, blackened missile-shaped object that landed within Saudi territory. Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, described the attacks as heinous in a statement shared on Saturday.

The Houthi group disputed the official narrative regarding their targets. They called the claim that they aimed at the holiest cities in Islam a huge lie. Instead, they stated that their intended targets were three Saudi airports, oil infrastructure, and an airbase. Colonel al-Nazili said the army operations focused on field command centres, Houthi gatherings, weapons depots, and supply lines in Taiz, a region where intense clashes have persisted for days.