On Sunday, the Saudi-led military coalition supporting the Yemeni government announced the death of two pilots after their reconnaissance helicopter crashed near the border with Yemen due to a technical malfunction. This is the first time that Riyadh has announced military losses since the escalation with the Houthis weeks ago.
Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki confirmed in a statement that the helicopter crashed in the Najran region “as a result of a technical malfunction,” adding that “the accident resulted in the martyrdom of its air crew, consisting of two officers.”
At dawn on Sunday, the spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces affiliated with the Ansar Allah group, Yahya Saree, announced the downing of a Saudi Arabian armed reconnaissance plane, a Carryal, while it was carrying out what he described as hostile actions in the airspace of Hajjah Governorate, northwest of Yemen.
Saree said in a statement that the plane was shot down using a suitable weapon, noting that this is the fourth plane of the same type that has been shot down since the start of the recent escalation, and the seventh since it entered Yemeni airspace.
On the other hand, residents of the capital, Riyadh, received a warning on their phones at dawn on Sunday morning about the existence of a “hostile air threat,” according to what was reported by the French news agency, which the authorities quickly lifted minutes later.
On Saturday, Saudi Arabia announced the interception of a new wave of drones, in the midst of confronting repeated attacks launched by the Houthis.
Saudi Arabia accused Iran of encouraging the Houthi escalation, while Tehran confirmed its support for a political solution between Riyadh and the Houthis, and offered to mediate between the two sides. On the other hand, the Foreign Minister of the internationally recognized Yemeni government rejected the Iranian initiative, considering that Tehran is “a party to the war against the Yemenis, in which there is no mediator.”
As a result of the war in the Middle East, a truce that had been in effect in Yemen since 2022 collapsed in July. The battles resumed, and the Houthis achieved progress on the ground and took control of the western coast and the Bab al-Mandab Strait region.
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For about two weeks, Saudi Arabia has been subjected to almost daily attacks carried out by the Houthis with missiles and drones, the most violent of which was the attack on Riyadh Airport on October 10, which resulted in 13 deaths and about 300 wounded.
The military spokesman for the Houthis, Yahya Saree, said on Saturday that Saudi Arabia had launched, during the last 24 hours, dozens of air strikes, which resulted in a “large number” of deaths and injuries.
A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition said on Saturday that “four drones were intercepted and destroyed during the past hours in the regions of Riyadh, the Eastern Province, and the South.”
The Kingdom Center in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, informed its administrative office employees of the necessity of working remotely and refraining from coming to their offices, starting Sunday and until further notice, in conjunction with the continued attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis on the Kingdom for two weeks.
An email sent to administrative offices late Saturday evening said the decision was effective “from now until further notice,” with employees asked to refrain from attending during this period.
On the other hand, the luxury mall on the ground floors of the tower remained open, according to an Agence France-Presse journalist.
The 99-storey “Kingdom Centre” is one of the most prominent landmarks of the Saudi capital, and is owned by businessman Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. It also includes offices for a number of major international institutions and companies.
A possible Egyptian role
In Cairo, the Egyptian National Defense Council announced in its session today, Sunday, headed by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, in his capacity as Supreme Commander of the Egyptian Armed Forces, “to provide all necessary and possible forms of support to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to defend its security and stability, and to preserve its capabilities, the integrity of its lands, and Islamic holy sites.”
The head of the Saudi-backed Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, welcomed what he described as the “brave Egyptian position” and the “firm solidarity” it embodies with Saudi Arabia in the face of what he said were “common threats, protecting the interests of our peoples, and their national security.”
The Egyptian Council decided to continue and intensify the political and diplomatic efforts made, in coordination with the relevant regional and international parties, in a way that contributes to reducing the escalation in the entire region and settling the crises that the region is witnessing peacefully.
Article 152 of the Egyptian Constitution stipulates that the National Defense Council and two-thirds of the members of the House of Representatives must be approved before authorizing the President of the Republic to send armed forces on combat missions outside the country’s borders.
The Egyptian moves re-raise questions about the nature of the support that Cairo can provide to Riyadh, and the limits of any possible military participation, especially since Egypt’s role within the Saudi-led coalition since 2015 has been largely limited to supporting navigation security in the Red Sea, far from direct participation in combat operations inside Yemen.
Al-Azhar calls for urgent Arab and Islamic mediation to end the region’s conflicts
Al-Azhar called for the formation of an urgent mediation and calm committee, which includes representatives from various Arab and Islamic countries, to undertake the task of taking immediate action to end the crises and conflicts raging in the Middle East region, and to bring points of view closer together.
According to a statement published by Al-Azhar on social media on Sunday, Sheikh Al-Azhar Ahmed Al-Tayeb issued an appeal to all Arab and Islamic countries, calling for an immediate and comprehensive cessation of all “acts of war, fighting, destruction and sabotage.” He called for giving priority to what he described as "the spirit of brotherhood and the ties of religion, blood, and language, raising the voice of wisdom, and resorting to the language of reason and dialogue."
The statement said that Al-Azhar is fully prepared to do its utmost to support the efforts of this proposed committee.
The call comes hours after the Egyptian National Defense Council agreed, in its session today headed by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, to provide all forms of support to Saudi Arabia in confronting the Ansar Allah Houthi movement, after a request submitted by El-Sisi to send combat forces outside the country.
The Egyptian Parliament postponed resolving the issue for two additional days after an emergency session devoted to discussing it on Sunday.
In Taiz, Yemen: Gas shortage forces residents to burn firewood and plastic for cooking
With the escalation of clashes between government forces and the Houthis in the city of Taiz, southwestern Yemen, residents say that they were forced to use firewood instead of domestic gas for cooking, after gas supplies ran out in the city, in light of the scarcity of fuel and its high prices.
One of the residents told the BBC's "Middle East Diary" program that the lack of gas and the high prices of fuel have forced families to resort to dangerous alternatives to meet their basic needs, adding that some families are now burning cardboard, firewood and plastic to prepare food, despite the health risks involved in these practices.
A resident of the city says that the lack of fuel and gas has led to the disruption of daily life, noting that schools have closed, businesses have stopped, and residents have been forced to return to primitive methods of cooking, despite the difficulty of obtaining even firewood.
One resident describes the extent of the suffering by saying that obtaining a gas cylinder has become an occasion for celebration, as women and young men are forced to go out in search of firewood, while families try to find any way to prepare food.
Residents confirm that the gas and gasoline crisis, in addition to the high cost of living, makes life more difficult in Taiz, as some families were forced to rely on firewood to meet their daily needs.
