Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement claimed Saudi Arabia carried out more than 300 airstrikes across several Yemeni provinces over the past five days, and warned it would intensify missile and drone attacks on targets inside the kingdom if the campaign continues.
The Houthis said in a statement published on Telegram on Monday that Saudi warplanes, including F-15 and Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, launched strikes from air bases in Khamis Mushait and Taif, targeting areas in the western coastal provinces of Taiz and Hodeidah.
The claims came as fighting between Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces and the Houthis has sharply escalated, raising fears of a return to full-scale regional conflict after years of relative calm. Reuters have reported that Saudi-led coalition airstrikes have intensified in recent days in response to expanded Houthi attacks on Saudi military bases and energy infrastructure.
The Houthi military statement said the group responded with what it described as a large-scale military operation targeting King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait. According to the statement, dozens of ballistic missiles and drones were fired at aircraft hangars, radar systems, runways and ammunition depots at the Saudi military facility.
The group claimed its missiles and drones struck their intended targets and caused extensive damage to military infrastructure at the base. Saudi authorities have not confirmed those claims.
Reuters has reported that the Houthis have recently claimed responsibility for missile and drone attacks on Khamis Mushait, Abha, Jazan and Najran, describing the operations as retaliation for Saudi airstrikes in Yemen. Saudi officials have acknowledged repeated Houthi attacks on southern cities and oil infrastructure but have disputed the Houthis’ battlefield claims.
A military source quoted by Yemen’s armed forces media center said the Houthi missile campaign had not affected ongoing military operations by government forces against the group along the western front.
The Yemeni military did not release casualty figures or provide an assessment of damage from the reported Houthi attacks. Saudi Arabia has also not issued an official statement confirming the Houthis’ account of the latest strikes or the alleged damage at King Khalid Air Base.
The escalation follows months of renewed hostilities in Yemen after the collapse of years of relative calm established following a UN-brokered truce in 2022. Fighting has expanded across the Red Sea coast, while Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi territory have renewed concerns over regional security and global energy supplies.
The Houthis warned that if Saudi airstrikes continue, they will launch broader and more intense operations against military targets inside Saudi Arabia, saying the campaign would continue until what they described as Saudi aggression against Yemen ends.
