Yemeni Army Claims 300 Kills

Yemeni government forces conducted over 700 targeting operations in a 24 hour period, according to military officials.

Colonel Majed Abdullah al-Nazili, a Yemeni army spokesman, stated on Saturday that these operations neutralized 300 Houthi fighters and disabled military vehicles. The spokesman said the strikes focused on field command centres, weapons depots, and supply lines in Taiz, a region where intense clashes have persisted for days. Al Jazeera reported that the figures could not be independently verified.

Houthi forces launched a new wave of attacks on Saturday targeting locations in Saudi Arabia and Aden. The Yemeni government’s Transport Ministry confirmed that two ballistic missiles hit Aden International Airport. This incident marks the fourth missile strike on the facility in the current month. The ministry noted that the attacks threaten civil aviation safety and carry economic consequences for citizens who rely on the airport for travel. Yemeni authorities also reported that the coastguard headquarters and another building were struck.

The Houthi group claimed responsibility for hitting the al-Nasr camp and the naval military base in Aden. On Friday, Yemen’s army announced that a Houthi missile malfunctioned and crashed into a family home in Sanaa, killing three people. The military noted this was one of several missile malfunctions observed from the group in recent weeks.

Saudi Arabia’s civil defence agency confirmed that the Houthis launched two ballistic missiles toward Mecca and Medina. The agency warned of falling shrapnel after intercepting the projectiles. Images released by the Saudi Press Agency showed a large, blackened missile-shaped object that landed within Saudi territory. Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV reported that Saudi coalition airstrikes killed several civilians in Sanaa and Hodeidah, a claim Riyadh has not yet formally commented on.

The Houthi group disputed the official narrative regarding their targets. They stated that they intended to hit three Saudi airports, oil infrastructure, and an airbase, calling the claim that they aimed at Mecca and Medina a huge lie. Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, described the strikes as heinous in a statement shared on Saturday.

Since a fragile ceasefire agreed in 2022 collapsed in July, the Houthis have used long-range strikes to target Saudi energy infrastructure and airports. This sustained pressure has become a defining feature of the current phase of the conflict as fighting continues along Yemen’s front lines.