Yemen’s Houthi movement has denied launching drones towards Saudi Arabia’s Medina or conducting military operations against the kingdom on Wednesday. The denial followed claims by the Saudi-led coalition that it intercepted drones over Medina and the Eastern region. The conflicting statements come amid renewed fighting and rising tensions between the two sides.
Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree rejected the coalition’s account, saying the group had not carried out the reported operations. The coalition had earlier announced that its forces intercepted drones in the two Saudi regions. Neither side’s claims independently establish the full circumstances surrounding the reported incident.
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Earlier this month, the Houthis warned airlines against using Saudi airspace as attacks on the kingdom intensified. However, the group said airspace over Makkah and Medina would remain exempt from its warning. The statement specifically distinguished the two Islamic holy cities from other parts of Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis have also claimed attacks targeting Riyadh’s international airport, Saudi Aramco facilities and military sites. Those operations have disrupted flights and oil exports, according to the report. Saudi Arabia remains the world’s largest oil exporter, making security concerns significant for its energy sector.
Meanwhile, Yemen continues to face a severe humanitarian crisis amid years of civil conflict. Fighting began escalating after the Houthis seized the northern capital, Sanaa, in 2014. Saudi Arabia subsequently led a military intervention supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government against the Houthi movement.
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Renewed clashes in recent weeks have ended a United Nations-brokered truce established in 2022. The agreement had largely halted cross-border attacks between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition. The latest escalation has also opened another front in the wider US-Israeli war on Iran, according to the report.
Within Yemen, the Houthis claimed responsibility for an attack on a military camp near Aden’s airport on Wednesday. A government military source and a local official also reported an attack on Riyan airport in Mukalla. Separately, a Houthi missile strike on a security forces training camp in Shabwa province killed 73 people on Monday, according to the report.