Internet/Hyderabad, Oct 25 (Maxim News): Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels have denied targeting Islam’s holy cities of Mecca and Medina, insisting their operations were directed at Saudi oil facilities, airports and military installations.
The denial came after Saudi Arabia reported intercepting two ballistic missiles allegedly launched towards the Mecca and Medina regions on Saturday. Saudi authorities said debris from the interceptions fell at several locations in western Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Civil Defence reported debris in Wadi Mughammas near Mecca, as well as locations in Jeddah, Taif and Rabigh. Authorities did not immediately report casualties from the falling debris.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree rejected the allegation that the group had targeted the holy cities. He described the reports as false and said the group’s operations focused on Saudi infrastructure and military targets.
Houthis Claim Attacks on Saudi Oil Facilities
Saree said the Houthis had targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, an Aramco facility in Yanbu and the Rabigh oil refinery.
He also claimed attacks on crude oil pumping stations, the East-West Pipeline, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam and an airport in Najran. Saudi authorities had not confirmed whether these claimed attacks had reached their intended targets.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence issued alerts over potential aerial threats in several western regions. Officials later announced that the immediate danger had passed.
The confrontation has also spread to southern Yemen. Yemen’s internationally recognised government said three Houthi ballistic missiles struck coast guard facilities in Aden, damaging a headquarters and another building. The Houthis said they had targeted military gatherings and a naval base in the city.
The latest exchanges come amid a sharp escalation in the conflict between the Houthis and Saudi-backed forces. The United Nations-brokered truce of 2022 had largely halted cross-border attacks before the recent escalation.
Saudi Arabia supports Yemen’s internationally recognised government, while the Houthis control the capital, Sanaa, and much of northern Yemen.
The competing claims over the missile attacks remain disputed. Saudi Arabia reported interceptions and falling debris near the holy cities, while the Houthis maintained that their intended targets were oil facilities and military installations.
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