Saudi coalition says it hit 136 Houthi targets in Yemen

The Saudi-led coalition said Friday it has destroyed 136 Houthi military targets in Yemen, widening an air campaign that backs a Yemeni government ground offensive and marks the collapse of a ceasefire that had largely held since 2022.

The strikes follow Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports that Saudi authorities say killed at least 12 people at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, the deadliest attack on the kingdom in more than a decade, according to Al Jazeera.

Coalition spokesman Maj.-Gen. Turki al-Maliki said on X that forces are working “to dismantle and destroy the ballistic missile network of the terrorist Houthi militia,” Arab News reported. He said the coalition is providing air support to Yemeni government forces “around the clock, 24 hours a day.”

On Wednesday, the coalition said it had destroyed 82 targets in Saada, Hodeidah, al-Jawf and Marib provinces, including 11 mountain-based ballistic missile storage sites in Saada, Al Jazeera reported. None of the coalition’s figures has been independently verified.

On the ground, the Yemeni government launched an offensive called “Dawn of Yemen” on Oct. 4. Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, announced it as an effort to retake all Houthi-held territory, including the capital, Sanaa, which the Houthis have held since 2014, according to Al Jazeera.

A government military spokesperson said on Oct. 8 that forces had “neutralised” 1,860 Houthi fighters in 2,103 targeting operations. Three days later, Al Jazeera quoted government spokesman Col. Majed Abdullah al-Nazili as claiming at least 1,150 Houthis killed in nearly 2,000 operations. The two claims differ, and Al Jazeera said it could not verify either. The Houthis dispute the government’s claim to have retaken Mocha and the Dhubab district.

The Houthis have said they are targeting what they call Saudi Arabia’s most precious assets, including Aramco facilities and the Riyadh airport. Spokesman Yahya Saree warned that “Saudi Arabia bears responsibility for any failed interceptions,” Al Jazeera reported. Saudi authorities did not immediately confirm a Houthi claim of a strike on the Aramco Rabigh refinery.

Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Abdulaziz Alwasil, told an emergency Security Council meeting on Friday that the kingdom “will not allow Yemen to be turned into a staging ground for threats to its security.” He also said Riyadh remains committed to a political settlement, Arab News reported.

Civilians are bearing the cost. Yemen’s government displacement agency reported on Oct. 3 that 197,906 people had been displaced since fighting intensified in July, including 97,529 in Taiz province, according to The Diplomatic Insight. Al Jazeera has since reported that the Houthis tightened their siege of the city of Taiz. The war has killed more than 100,000 people, Al Jazeera said.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday the United States may join Saudi operations against the Houthis. Al Jazeera reported that U.S. media say Washington has already supplied intelligence, targeting and planning help. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the airport attack and said strikes on civilians violate international law.

For Canadians, the federal government advises avoiding all travel to Yemen, including Socotra, according to travel.gc.ca. The page shows no update date. Our earlier reporting covers the Canadian response to the Riyadh airport attack and the earlier Houthi attacks on Saudi airports. Travellers connecting through Saudi airports should check airline notices, as several carriers have suspended Saudi service.

What happens next depends on whether Washington joins the campaign and whether Saudi Arabia follows through on its vow to retaliate firmly. Trump said he planned to speak with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. This story is developing.

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Via Arab News and Al Jazeera, with displacement figures from The Diplomatic Insight and the Canadian advisory from travel.gc.ca.