Saudi Arabia's civil defence said on Saturday that Yemen's Houthi rebels launched two ballistic missiles towards Mecca and Medina, Islam's two holiest cities, and that both were intercepted. It warned residents about falling shrapnel, and images released by the Saudi state news agency appeared to show a large, blackened missile-shaped object that had landed inside the kingdom.
The Houthis called the accusation a "huge lie", saying their targets were three Saudi airports, oil infrastructure and an airbase. Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi condemned the attacks as "heinous" and a blatant disregard for civilian lives.
Aden airport hit again
On the same day, the Transport Ministry of Yemen's internationally recognised government said the Houthis fired two ballistic missiles at Aden International Airport, the fourth such attack this month, warning that the strikes threatened civil aviation. Yemeni authorities said the coastguard headquarters and another building were also hit, while the Houthis claimed attacks on the al-Nasr camp and Aden's naval base.
Yemen's army said a malfunctioning Houthi missile fell on a family home in Sanaa on Friday, killing three people. Houthi-run television claimed Saudi-led coalition air strikes killed several civilians in Sanaa and Hodeidah; the claim could not be verified and Riyadh has not commented.
The Houthis have repeatedly struck Saudi energy sites and airports since a fragile 2022 ceasefire collapsed in July, and heavy fighting continues on Yemen's front lines, particularly around Taiz. The escalation also matters for Pakistan, which recently ratified the Makkah defence pact with Saudi Arabia.