Houthis deny targeting Mecca and Medina as Saudi Arabia reports missile debris

Yemen’s Houthi movement denied targeting Mecca and Medina after Saudi authorities said ballistic missiles had been intercepted and debris had fallen in several locations. India Today reported that Saudi Civil Defence found shrapnel from two intercepted missiles in the Mecca and Medina regions, with debris also reported near Jeddah, Taif and Rabigh. The Houthis said their operations were directed at Saudi oil facilities and military installations, not the two Islamic holy cities.

Military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, an Aramco facility in Yanbu, the Rabigh refinery, crude-oil pumping stations and the East-West Pipeline. Saree also claimed attacks on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, an airport in Najran and an airbase in Khamis Mushait. Saudi authorities did not directly respond to all those claims.

The Saudi-led coalition said it destroyed two ballistic missiles fired towards Yanbu and Taif. It remained unclear from the reports whether any of the claimed targets were hit or whether the missiles were intercepted before reaching them. NDTV’s account focused on the Saudi report that shrapnel fell in Mecca and Medina, following warnings of potential danger in four western provinces, including Mecca.

The confrontation also extended to Aden. Yemen’s internationally recognised government said three ballistic missiles were fired at coast-guard installations, with two striking a headquarters and another hitting a building in the Tawahi district. Saree gave a different account, saying Houthi forces had targeted Saudi-backed military gatherings at Al-Nasr camp and a naval base.

Neither the Saudi-led coalition nor the supplied reports provided confirmation resolving the competing descriptions of the Aden strikes. The claims therefore remain disputed, as does the extent of damage caused by the wider exchange. The escalation threatens a United Nations-brokered truce agreed in 2022 that had largely halted cross-border attacks between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition.

The coalition supports Yemen’s internationally recognised government, while the Houthis control Sanaa and large parts of northern Yemen. The latest incident follows other reported Houthi attacks on Saudi energy facilities and airports this month. India Today said earlier strikes had caused deaths, injuries and damage, although the supplied material did not independently verify the Houthi claims about each incident.

The immediate point of agreement is that Saudi Arabia intercepted missiles and reported debris, while the Houthis deny targeting the holy cities and claim attacks on military and energy infrastructure.