Tensions have flared in Yemen following Houthi missile strikes on Aden International Airport and cross-border attacks into Saudi Arabia, triggering a wave of retaliatory coalition airstrikes across northern Yemen.
At least two missiles fired by Yemen's Houthi forces struck Aden International Airport on Wednesday, according to Yemen's Aden security authorities cited by Reuters. The airport, Yemen's second-largest international airport, is operated by the Yemeni government and serves as a key international gateway outside Houthi-controlled territory.
Meanwhile, residents in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, reported hearing explosions early Wednesday.
The Houthis said Saudi Arabia carried out dozens of airstrikes overnight on Sanaa and several northern provinces, including Amran, Al-Jawf and Saada.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group had repelled several advances by Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces toward the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait. He said the Houthis launched 10 ballistic missiles at government troop concentrations and reinforcement units, causing casualties and destroying several military vehicles.
Saree also claimed that Houthi forces had thwarted an attempted government offensive against their positions in Taiz province. According to another Houthi statement, Saudi Arabia conducted 66 attacks over a 24-hour period using fighter jets, armed reconnaissance drones and surface-to-surface missiles against areas in western and northern Yemen.
Saree separately claimed that Houthi forces had shot down a Saudi reconnaissance drone over Yemen's Al-Jawf province.
Saudi Arabia's state news agency reported early Wednesday that coalition spokesperson Turki Al-Malki said the coalition had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis toward Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia. Al-Malki said the missile threat originated from areas under Houthi control, including Sanaa and the provinces of Saada and Amran.
Yemeni government sources said government forces still control the coastal area of Dhubab in southwestern Taiz province near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The area has reportedly come under multiple Houthi missile attacks, causing damage to government forces.
The latest fighting comes as both sides seek to strengthen their positions along Yemen's western coast and around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a strategically important maritime chokepoint linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
In a further development on Wednesday, Al-Malki said the Saudi-led coalition intercepted another Houthi ballistic missile north of the Saudi capital Riyadh. He said the coalition was using surveillance systems deployed over Sanaa to track and strike missile launch platforms.
Analysts say Saudi-backed government forces have stepped up operations partly to gain greater control over the strait and surrounding coastal areas. However, the Houthis retain control of Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, while maintaining military positions in areas including Taiz.
The government forces are spread across multiple fronts and may face difficulties dislodging Houthi fighters from mountainous strongholds. The fighting could therefore continue to shift between western coastal areas and Taiz, while the Houthis may continue targeting Saudi territory and Red Sea shipping.
Yemen tensions escalate as Houthi attacks target Aden airport, Saudi Arabia
Yemen tensions escalate as Houthi attacks target Aden airport, Saudi Arabia
Yemen tensions escalate as Houthi attacks target Aden airport, Saudi Arabia
