Saudi coalition destroys missile platform used in Riyadh attack; Yemen fighting escalates
Riyadh: The Saudi-led coalition said Wednesday it had destroyed a ballistic missile launch platform in Yemen that was used in an attack on Riyadh, as fighting between Yemen's internationally recognised government forces and the Iran-backed Houthis intensifies.
The coalition said the platform was destroyed in Sanaa while preparations were under way for another attack targeting Saudi Arabia.
The development came after Houthi missile and drone attacks targeted Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Saudi authorities said the attacks killed three people and injured 36 others.
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The Saudi-led coalition, which backs Yemen's government forces, said it had launched a broader military operation across Yemen following the recent attacks and destroyed 82 Houthi targets.
The targets included ballistic missile storage facilities, weapons depots, command-and-control centres, communication systems and Houthi gathering sites, according to the coalition.
The latest escalation follows a series of Houthi attacks targeting Saudi Arabia as fighting on the ground intensifies in Yemen.
Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces have claimed advances in western Taiz, in the mountain belt overlooking the country's western coast, as part of the "Dawn of Yemen" operation to retake territory from the Houthis.
The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation said Houthi attacks on Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport killed three civilians and wounded 36 others.
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An Egyptian and an Algerian national were killed at Abha airport, while a Sudanese national was killed at the Riyadh airport, Saudi authorities said.
The Houthis have claimed responsibility for the attacks, including a ballistic missile strike on King Khalid International Airport.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said, "Our armed forces have just targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with a ballistic missile. The strike was accurate, by God's grace, and led to a disruption of air traffic."
The Saudi-led coalition said the missile was intercepted and that it subsequently destroyed the launch platform used in the attack.
The coalition also said it would retaliate against the Houthis for attacks on civilian infrastructure.
"The brutal attacks by the Terrorist Houthi Militia on civilian and civilian objects in the Kingdom, most recently targeting (the two airports) will not go unpunished," it said on X.
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Yemen government claims battlefield gains
The latest air strikes come as Yemen's internationally recognised government steps up its counter-offensive against the Houthis.
Government forces have claimed advances in western Taiz as part of the "Dawn of Yemen" operation, seeking to reclaim territory in the strategic mountain belt overlooking the Red Sea coast.
The Houthis, however, have disputed claims of major territorial losses. Military sources from both sides have not reported any significant changes on the ground that could be independently verified.
The fighting has displaced more than 200,000 people inside Yemen, according to the United Nations.
Yemen's civil war reignited in July following a four-year ceasefire, with the Houthis making significant advances along the western coast. The group controls large parts of northwestern Yemen and areas that are home to most of the country's population.