The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthi movement said it destroyed 136 military targets in a large-scale operation on Saturday. The announcement comes as fighting intensifies in Yemen and the conflict increasingly affects neighbouring Saudi Arabia. The coalition described the operation as an effort to target Houthi personnel and military capabilities.
Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition, announced the operation in posts on the social media platform X. He said the coalition was conducting a large-scale campaign against the Houthi movement. In a separate post, he reported that forces had destroyed 136 military targets in areas under Houthi control.
The reported strikes mark a further escalation in the conflict between the Houthis and Yemen’s internationally recognised government. Fighting reignited in July and has since spread beyond Yemen’s borders, increasing security concerns in the region. The coalition’s latest announcement did not provide a detailed breakdown of the targets reportedly destroyed.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi-affiliated Almasirah television channel reported that Saudi missiles struck areas in Saada governorate in northwestern Yemen. The report provided details about the locations targeted but did not independently establish the full extent of the damage. Information about casualties from the latest strikes was not included in the available report.
The Houthis have seized territory along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and have used drones and missiles against transport hubs, oil facilities and other targets in Saudi Arabia. These attacks have raised security concerns for the kingdom, which is the world’s largest crude oil exporter. The continuing exchanges of attacks have added pressure to an already unstable regional security situation.
Saudi Arabia said on Friday that attacks on Riyadh International Airport had killed three people the previous day. The Houthis had claimed strikes on the facility. Separately, media reports said two people were killed in Saudi attacks on Sanaa, Yemen’s Houthi-controlled capital. The reports highlight the human cost of the escalating conflict, although the circumstances of the incidents differ.
Saudi and Yemeni government forces have struggled to reverse Houthi advances despite a counter-offensive to regain territory. One strategically important area is near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a vital route for international shipping. The latest operation against Saudi-led coalition Houthi targets signals continued military escalation, while the conflict threatens regional stability and maritime trade.
