Al-Maliki Claims Destruction of Four Houthi Missile Launchers

Saudi coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki stated on Monday that coalition forces destroyed four ballistic missile launchers and five missile storage tunnels. He said the military operation aimed to neutralize sources of threat and focused on cutting off Houthi supply lines between areas under their control. Al-Maliki added that forces also attacked a missile depot and targeted fortifications and military equipment along front lines inside Yemen.

The strikes follow a recent escalation in the Yemen war. In summer, the Houthis announced a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia. A truce established in 2022 collapsed last month, prompting a Houthi offensive that seized much of the Red Sea coast. Yemen’s government forces launched a counteroffensive called Operation Yemen Dawn this month to recapture territory.

The conflict intensified in October when a Houthi attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid international airport killed 13 people and wounded more than 300. It was the deadliest attack on the kingdom in over a decade. The incident forced the airport to close temporarily and pushed Saudi Arabia’s flagship investment conference to 2027. The airport reopened on Sunday, with the Houthis warning travelers to avoid the facility by labeling it a military target.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed on Monday that the group attacked the airport with a ballistic missile. He stated the missile struck the target with precision. Al-Maliki countered that Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched toward Riyadh. Saree also claimed drone strikes on oil pumping stations in Saudi Arabia and additional ballistic missile attacks on weapons depots in the Salah al-Din and al-Wahat areas of Yemen.

On Sunday, the coalition reported intercepting at least 10 ballistic missiles. The civil defense agency said two people were injured in the south by falling debris and that several buildings and vehicles sustained damage. Official images showed a building with a destroyed upper facade and shattered windows with glass strewn across nearby roads.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as airport operations resumed. Mitsotakis’ office said he agreed to keep a US-made Patriot air defense system in Saudi Arabia. The battery, deployed by Greece in 2021, protects energy infrastructure in Yanbu on the Red Sea coast.