Saudi forces say they wrecked nine Houthi missile spots while airport flights resumed

The Saudi-led coalition announced the destruction of nine Houthi military assets on Monday.

Turki al-Maliki, the coalition spokesman, stated that forces destroyed four ballistic missile launchers and five tunnels used for missile storage. He added that the operation targeted a missile depot and aimed to cut supply lines between Houthi-controlled areas. The strikes also hit fortifications and military equipment along the front lines inside Yemen.

The Houthi group, known as Ansar Allah, has launched a series of attacks on Saudi infrastructure in recent weeks. A missile strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh earlier this month killed 13 people and wounded more than 300. That attack closed the airport and pushed Saudi Arabia’s main investment conference to 2027. Flights resumed at the airport on Sunday, though the Houthis warned travelers to avoid it, labeling it a military target.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed a new missile hit the Riyadh airport with precision on Monday. Al-Maliki countered that Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed the ballistic missile before it reached its target. Saree also reported drone strikes on oil pumping stations in Saudi Arabia and missile attacks on government forces in the Salah al-Din and al-Wahat areas of Yemen.

The conflict intensified after a 2022 truce collapsed last month. The Houthis seized much of Yemen’s Red Sea coast and began targeting Saudi energy facilities. Yemen’s government launched a counteroffensive called Operation Yemen Dawn this month to reclaim lost territory.

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

The coalition reported that air defenses intercepted at least 10 ballistic missiles on Sunday. Two people were injured in the south by falling debris. The Saudi civil defense agency reported damage to several buildings and vehicles. Official press agency images showed a building with a destroyed upper facade and shattered windows with glass scattered across nearby pavement and roads.

The coalition described the operation as a move to neutralize sources of threat. The Houthis continue to claim responsibility for attacks on Saudi and Yemeni targets.