Saudi-led coalition forces, Houthis trade blows; 16 dead in Sanaa, Hodeida

Saudi-led coalition forces, Houthis trade blows; 16 dead in Sanaa, Hodeida

• Houthi media says air raids leave casualties in Sanaa, Hodeida and Mocha • Rebel group claims strikes on Aden, airports, oil installations; Washington warns travellers • Falling debris reported near Makkah, Madina; Two ballistic missiles intercepted en route to Taif, Yanbu RIYADH: Saudi-led coalition forces launched deadly airstrikes on Yemen’s Houthi-controlled capital of Sanaa and the Red Sea port city of Hodeida on Saturday, killing at least 16 people, according to Houthi media. In response, the Houthi forces launched their own attacks targeting Saudi oil facilities, airports and military sites in the southern Yemeni city of Aden. The Houthis’ Al-Masirah television channel reported a series of “Saudi enemy airstrikes” targeting Sanaa and its surrounding governorate, while also reporting around 20 strikes on Mocha. In Sanaa, one strike hit a house, killing at least four people and wounding several others. A separate strike on a residential building for cement factory workers in the Sanaa governorate killed six women and one child and wounded three others, the broadcaster said. In the western port city of Hodeida, Al-Masirah reported that a Saudi strike killed five members of the same family. “Five people, the head of the family, two of his children and his two wives, have been martyred, and his daughter wounded, as a result of a Saudi enemy air strike on the home of citizen Abdulwahed al-Wasabi in the Al-Tuhayta district,” the channel reported. Earlier on Saturday, the Saudi-led coalition announced it had intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis toward the western Saudi cities of Taif and Yanbu. Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence Agency briefly broadcast warnings of “potential danger” for four western regions, including Taif, Yanbu, Jeddah and Makkah, home to Islam’s holiest city. Residents were instructed to “proceed to the nearest safe place,” and the agency repeated a legal warning against sharing images or information related to “countering missiles and drones.” The alerts were rescinded about 10 minutes later after the agency said the threat had passed. In a post on X, the agency said it responded to falling debris following the interceptions in the Makkah and Madina areas. “Civil defence in the Makkah and Madina regions began to respond to the falling debris from the interception of two ballistic missiles launched by Houthis,” the agency said, adding that some shrapnel fell in Wadi Mughamas outside Makkah. Following the Saudi strikes, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group launched wide-scale attacks targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, an airport in Najran and an airbase in Khamis Mushait. Saree added that Houthi forces targeted an Aramco facility in Yanbu, the Rabigh oil refinery, crude oil pumping stations and the East-West Pipeline. There was no immediate confirmation from Saudi authorities on those reported strikes. On another front, explosions rocked Aden, the interim seat of Yemen’s internationally recognised, Saudi-backed government. Yemen’s Interior Ministry told the state-run Saba news agency that three Houthi ballistic missiles struck coast guard sites, with two hitting the coast guard headquarters and a third striking a building in the Tawahi district. A police source added that a coalition position near the Aden airport was also targeted. Saree quickly claimed the Aden attack, saying Saudi officers were overseeing mobilisation there. “Our armed forces targeted Saudi enemy concentrations at the so-called Al-Nasr camp and the naval base in Aden,” Saree said. US updates advisory On Saturday, the US Embassy in Riyadh and the US Mission to the United Arab Emirates stated that Washington’s travel advisories were updated to reflect an increase in potential armed attacks by the Houthis. Meanwhile, Egypt has suggested sending troops to help defend Saudi Arabia, while Britain and France have offered forces to protect the kingdom. Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2026