Yemeni Army Claims 300 Kills After 700 Operations
Missile debris lands near Mecca and Medina as the airport in Aden faces a fourth strike this month.
By Giulia Donovan ·
Yemeni military officials said they conducted more than 700 targeting operations in the last 24 hours, claiming the actions neutralized 300 Houthi fighters. The figures were released by Colonel Majed Abdullah al-Nazili, a Yemeni army spokesman, on Saturday. He stated that the operations focused on field command centers, weapons depots, and supply lines in the Taiz region, where heavy fighting has continued for days. Al Jazeera could not independently verify the casualty counts.
The military escalation coincides with new Houthi strikes against Saudi Arabia and the port city of Aden. The Yemeni government’s Transport Ministry reported that two ballistic missiles hit Aden International Airport on Saturday. This marks the fourth time the facility has been targeted in October. Officials said the coastguard headquarters and another building were also struck during the assault. The Houthi group claimed responsibility for hitting the al-Nasr camp and a naval military base in the same area.
Saudi Arabia’s civil defence agency confirmed the launch of two ballistic missiles toward Mecca and Medina. The agency warned of falling shrapnel after intercepting the projectiles. Images from the Saudi Press Agency showed a large, blackened missile fragment that landed within Saudi territory. Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, called the attacks heinous in a statement. He said the strikes showed a blatant disregard for civilian lives and security.
The Houthi leadership disputed the official narrative regarding their targets. They described the claim that they aimed at the two holy cities as a huge lie. Instead, the group said they targeted three Saudi airports, oil infrastructure, and an airbase. In a separate incident on Friday, Yemen’s army announced that a Houthi missile malfunctioned and crashed into a family home in Sanaa. The explosion killed three people. The military noted that this was one of several missile malfunctions observed from the Iran-backed group in recent weeks.
Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV reported that Saudi coalition airstrikes killed several civilians in Sanaa and the port city of Hodeidah on Saturday. Riyadh has not issued a formal comment regarding the alleged raids. The Houthi attacks represent a new wave of pressure on the internationally recognized government. This pressure has intensified since a fragile ceasefire agreed upon in 2022 collapsed in July.
Since that collapse, the group has used long-range strikes to target Saudi energy infrastructure and airports. The sustained pressure has become a defining feature of the current conflict phase. Fighting continues along Yemen’s front lines as Houthi forces battle government troops for control of key areas. The strikes threaten the safety of civil aviation and carry economic consequences for citizens who depend on the airport for travel.
