Following recent Houthi strikes on Saudi civilian airports that resulted in three deaths and 36 injuries, the Saudi-led coalition conducted a large-scale military operation. On Wednesday, coalition forces announced the destruction of 82 Houthi military targets across the Yemeni provinces of Saada, Hodeidah, Al-Jawf, and Marib. 82 Houthi military targets in 4 Yemeni provinces destroyed after deadly airport assaults.
Coalition spokesman Major-General Turki Al-Maliki detailed that the offensive successfully hit various strategic assets, including 11 mountain-based storage facilities in Saada specifically used for ballistic missiles. Other neutralized sites included command-and-control centers, critical communications systems, weapons depots, and various gathering points used by the Iran-backed militia.
The retaliatory strikes were launched after the Houthis used drones and ballistic missiles to target the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Abha International Airport. Asserting the coalition’s stance on the security of civilian infrastructure, Al-Maliki declared that these assaults on non-combatant sites “will not go unpunished.”
The Iran-backed Houthis have publicly claimed responsibility for the airport attacks, escalating a broader regional conflict where Saudi-supported government forces continue to fight for territorial control. This incident follows a pattern of recent hostilities, including various drone attempts against Riyadh and a previous strike on a power station in Medina.
Previous incidents in the ongoing tensions have included at least 13 injuries reported in separate Houthi attacks on Saudi cities. The coalition, which has reported the destruction of over 324 targets in Yemen throughout recent operations, remains focused on intercepting incoming ballistic missiles and drones to mitigate further civilian risk.