The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen announced on Tuesday that its forces intercepted a ballistic missile launched by the Ansar Allah Houthi group towards the southwest of the kingdom, after announcing a military operation in Hodeidah Governorate, which included “the destruction of legitimate military targets” of the Houthis.
The spokesman for the “Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen” led by Saudi Arabia, Brigadier General Turki Al-Maliki, said on the “X” platform that the forces “intercepted and destroyed” the missile that was launched towards Khamis Mushait, where there is an air base.
In a previous post, Al-Maliki announced that the coalition naval forces carried out a military operation in Hodeidah Governorate, which included “the destruction of legitimate military targets” belonging to the Ansar Allah Houthi group.
He added that the coalition thwarted a plan for imminent attacks targeting the waterways south of the Red Sea, and destroyed weapons depots, explosive boats, and sea mines, pointing out that the operation comes within the framework of achieving the coalition’s goals, which include protecting the security of maritime navigation in the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
The joint statement of the Political and Defense Strategic Committee of the Mecca Defense Alliance, which was issued on Monday, announced the immediate transition to the practical implementation of joint defense obligations, and taking the necessary measures to provide the agreed upon military forces and capabilities and speed up their deployment in the Kingdom.
In a related context, the Saudi Civil Aviation Authority announced that Najran and Jizan airports were targeted on Monday evening, adding that the attacks resulted in three minor injuries and material damage.
An explosion was also heard in northern Riyadh on Tuesday, according to what a number of residents of this area reported to Agence France-Presse.
This came the day after several explosions were heard in the north of the Saudi capital, and the Houthis in Yemen announced that they were targeting Riyadh Airport, located in the northeast of the capital, among several other targets throughout the Kingdom.
On the other hand, the Ansar Allah Houthi movement said that it carried out three military operations in Saudi Arabia targeting several sites, including King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, an Aramco refinery in Rabigh, Abha International Airport, and the Khamis Mushait military base, while no confirmation was issued from Saudi Arabia.
In a later statement, the Houthis announced the killing of six members of one family in a Saudi air strike that targeted a village in the Hajjah Governorate bordering Saudi Arabia.
The Houthi Ministry of Health, quoting the movement's official news agency, stated that the six dead were the father, mother, and four children, aged between three and eight years.
In a related context, the Saudi Ministry of Interior announced that photographing, publishing, or circulating information related to confronting missiles and drones and their landing sites may expose a person to legal accountability.
In turn, Jordan condemned "the Houthi militia's continued attacks on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the attempt to target Mecca and Medina, and the targeting of civilian and economic objects in a number of Saudi cities."
He stressed in a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs that this is “a blatant violation of Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, a threat to its security and stability, and a flagrant violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations.”
"Targeting Abha Airport"
The military spokesman for the Ansar Allah Houthi group, Yahya Saree, announced on Tuesday that the movement had targeted Abha International Airport in Saudi Arabia with a ballistic missile, saying that the hit was accurate and direct and led to the disruption of navigation at the airport.
In a statement, Saree renewed his warning to airlines against “the consequences of operating flights in Saudi airspace, as it has become a theater for military operations, with the exception of the airspace of the holy areas in the cities of Mecca and Medina,” according to what was reported by the Houthi-run Saba News Agency.
The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jassim Mohammed Al-Budaiwi, condemned what he described as "the blatant attacks by the terrorist Houthi militias on King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Jizan and Najran International Airport, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."
He stressed that "targeting airports and civilian facilities represents a dangerous escalation and a flagrant violation of all international laws and norms, and a direct threat to the security and safety of civilians and air traffic."
The Houthi military spokesman also announced the bombing of “Al-Dagharir Camp” in Jizan, southern Saudi Arabia, with ballistic missiles on Tuesday, saying that the targeting left dozens dead and wounded from “the Saudi enemy’s mobilizations,” as he described it.
He also announced the targeting of what he described as "concentrations of Saudi-backed forces east of Al-Jawf Governorate," noting that there were deaths and injuries and the burning of a number of vehicles.
Houthi media also reported from a local source in Hajjah Governorate that a family of six members was killed in artillery shelling by government forces on Haradh District in the coastal governorate in western Yemen, on Tuesday morning.
One person was killed and another injured, in a missile strike launched by Yemeni government forces in various areas in a border governorate in northern Yemen, according to the Houthi media, which also announced the killing of the commander of the 35th Armored Brigade of the government forces in Taiz.
"Field acquisitions"
The Houthis confirmed, on Tuesday, that they are tightening their grip on the gains they achieved on the ground, after they took control of the entire western coast of Yemen and the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait region.
The military spokesman for the Houthis, Yahya Saree, said on Telegram that his forces “maintain control over all their field gains,” adding that they carried out dozens of strikes targeting Yemeni government forces in Al-Jawf and Ma’rib governorates, and continue to pursue them in the remaining districts of Taiz governorate.
In a surprise attack in September, the Houthis took control of the western coast of Yemen overlooking the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait area, including the strategic city of Mokha in western Taiz Governorate.
On Sunday, the Yemeni government announced the start of a counter-attack to restore areas controlled by the Houthis, especially those that fell recently.
The government reported on Monday, in news reported by its affiliated Saba news agency, that “the armed forces are in control of the city of Mokha... after battles with the Houthi militias.” The agency quoted a military source as saying, "With air support, the forces were able to control the city of Mokha," and are continuing to pursue Houthi elements.
On the other hand, Yemeni government military sources reported to Agence France-Presse on Monday that their forces cut off the supply route to Mokha overlooking the Red Sea, without confirming what the government announced regarding regaining control of the city from the Houthis.
She said, "Our forces took control of Dhubab Military Airport and cut the road linking Dhubab District to the Bab al-Mandab area."
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