The Media Line: Saudi Arabia Targets Stronghold of Houthi Leader After Missile and Drone Attacks   

Saudi Arabia Targets Stronghold of Houthi Leader After Missile and Drone Attacks   

By The Media Line Staff  

Saudi Arabia and allied forces struck Yemen’s northwestern Saada province overnight following a sharp escalation that saw the Houthis launch ballistic missiles and drones at an international airport and two air bases in Saudi Arabia.  

Sources in Yemen reported strikes in Saada, the primary stronghold of Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi. The Qatari newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed also reported airstrikes on the province, describing it as “the stronghold of the Houthi leader.”  

The renewed fighting followed airstrikes by Yemen’s internationally recognized government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, on the runway at Sanaa International Airport. The strikes were intended to prevent an Iranian aircraft carrying a Houthi delegation from landing.  

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree subsequently declared that the de-escalation phase was over. The Houthis launched a barrage of ballistic missiles and drones targeting Abha International Airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia, King Khalid Air Base and Prince Sultan Air Base.  

The Saudi-led military coalition said Saudi air defenses intercepted the incoming missiles and drones over the kingdom’s southern region. No major casualties were reported in Saudi Arabia.  

The strikes and missile attacks mark a major escalation after years of significantly reduced fighting between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis.  

In April 2022, the United Nations negotiated a two-month truce between the Saudi-led coalition, which supports Yemen’s internationally recognized government, and the Houthi rebels. The agreement halted cross-border attacks and permitted commercial flights from Houthi-controlled Sanaa. It also eased restrictions on fuel imports through the Red Sea port of Hodeidah.  

The formal agreement expired in October 2022, but the two sides largely maintained an informal period of deescalation for four years until the renewed violence on Tuesday. 

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