700 military operations reported as missile debris lands near Mecca

The Yemen conflict has intensified with a new wave of strikes targeting Saudi Arabia and the coastal city of Aden. The attacks occurred as Houthi forces pressed their offensive against the internationally recognized government.

Saudi Arabia's civil defence agency confirmed on Saturday that two ballistic missiles were launched toward Mecca and Medina. The agency warned of falling shrapnel after intercepting the projectiles. Images from the Saudi Press Agency showed a large, blackened missile fragment inside the kingdom.

In Aden, the Transport Ministry stated that two ballistic missiles hit the international airport. This marks the fourth such incident at the facility this month. Authorities also reported that the coastguard headquarters and another building were struck. The Houthis claimed responsibility for hitting the al-Nasr camp and the naval military base.

Colonel Majed Abdullah al-Nazili, a Yemeni army spokesman, announced that government forces conducted more than 700 targeting operations in the previous 24 hours. He said these actions neutralized 300 Houthi fighters and disabled military vehicles. Al Jazeera could not independently verify these figures.

The military stated that the operations focused on field command centres, weapons depots, and supply lines in Taiz. Intense clashes have persisted in this region for days as both sides fight for control of key areas.

The Houthi group disputed the Saudi claim that their missiles targeted the holy cities. They described the claim as a huge lie and stated their intended targets were three Saudi airports, oil infrastructure, and an airbase. On Friday, a Houthi missile malfunctioned and crashed into a family home in Sanaa, killing three people.

Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, called the Houthi attacks heinous. He said the strikes showed a blatant disregard for the lives and security of civilians. This escalation follows the collapse of a fragile ceasefire in July 2022, since when the Houthis have targeted Saudi energy infrastructure and airports.

Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV reported that Saudi coalition airstrikes killed several civilians in Sanaa and Hodeidah on Saturday. Riyadh had not issued a formal comment regarding these alleged raids as of the report.