Houthi Group Targets Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Aden Government Base

A flare-up in Yemen's conflict has brought the Houthi group's firepower into Saudi Arabia and the seat of Yemen's internationally recognized government. The group launched a wave of attacks this weekend aimed at striking both its regional rival and the administration it opposes.

The government's Transport Ministry reported that two ballistic missiles struck Aden International Airport on Saturday. This marked the fourth such incident at the facility this month, and officials warned the strikes endanger civil aviation safety alongside the economic and humanitarian needs of people who rely on the airport. Authorities also said the coastguard headquarters and another building were hit in the same assault. The Houthi group claimed responsibility for hitting the al-Nasr camp and the naval military base in Aden.

In Saudi Arabia, the civil defense agency reported that two projectiles were fired toward Mecca and Medina on Saturday. The agency warned about falling shrapnel after the projectiles were intercepted, while images released by the Saudi Press Agency appeared to show a large, blackened missile-shaped object that had landed inside the country. The Houthi group rejected the official account of its targets, calling the claim that it aimed at Mecca and Medina a huge lie. The group instead stated that its intended targets were three Saudi airports, oil infrastructure, and an airbase.

Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, called the Houthi attacks heinous. He said in a statement that the strikes embodied a blatant disregard for the lives and security of civilians.

The violence comes as a fragile ceasefire agreed upon in 2022 collapsed in July. Since that time, the Houthis have persistently used long-range strikes to target Saudi energy infrastructure and airports across the kingdom. This sustained pressure has become a defining feature of the current phase of the conflict. Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV reported on Saturday that Saudi coalition airstrikes resulted in the deaths of several civilians in Sanaa and the port city of Hodeidah. While the claim could not be independently verified, Riyadh has not issued a formal comment regarding the alleged raids.

Intense fighting continues along Yemen's front lines as Houthi forces battle the internationally recognized government's troops for control of key areas. Colonel Majed Abdullah al-Nazili, a Yemeni army spokesman, said on Saturday that government forces conducted more than 700 targeting operations over the previous 24 hours. He claimed these operations neutralized 300 Houthi fighters and disabled military vehicles, though those figures could not be independently verified. The military spokesman added that the operations focused on field command centres, Houthi gatherings, weapons depots, and supply lines in Taiz, a region where intense clashes have persisted for days.