The Ansarullah-led Yemeni armed forces have carried out a wave of missile and drone operations against Saudi airports and military positions, while striking Saudi mercenaries in the southern Yemeni city of Aden and advancing against Saudi-backed forces around the strategic city of Ta’izz.
The Yemeni armed forces said on Wednesday that they targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with several drones, an operation they said was successful and led to the suspension of flights at the airport.
They also carried out separate missile and drone attacks against Abha International Airport and Khamis Mushait airbase in southwestern Saudi Arabia, saying the strikes disrupted flights at Abha and caused damage at the military base.
In another operation, the Ansarullah-led Yemeni armed forces targeted the al-Dhagharir and al-Mawsim camps in Jizan and Akifah camp in Asir with a large number of ballistic missiles and drones.
Yemeni armed forces spokesperson Yahya Saree said the strikes hit the targets accurately, killing and wounding dozens of Saudi military personnel and destroying ammunition depots and weapons storage facilities.
The Yemeni forces also said they had shot down a Saudi CH-4 reconnaissance drone over al-Jawf province, adding another strike against Saudi military assets to the latest escalation.
The attacks came as several heavy explosions shook Aden early Wednesday, with local sources reporting that the Ansarullah-led Yemeni armed forces had targeted the international airport with missiles.
According to local reports, a Saudi mercenary unit known as “Unit 22”, stationed at Aden airport, was among the targets.
One missile landed near the runway shortly before a flight from Cairo was due to arrive, forcing the aircraft to divert to Jeddah.
Yemen’s Transport Ministry said the attack involved ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones. It said authorities cancelled the landing and diverted the Cairo flight to Jeddah, while two aircraft on the ground were moved away from the area amid fears of further strikes.
The Yemeni armed forces had earlier warned that the use of Aden’s civilian airport for military purposes was unacceptable and would draw a response.
Advances around Ta’izz
The escalation in the air has coincided with continued fighting on the ground, as Ansarullah-led Yemeni armed forces seek to consolidate their gains around Ta’izz and the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait.
The Yemeni forces have seized the Mount Matran area in al-Selw district south of Ta’izz, according to a military source cited by local media.
The advance reportedly involved the capture of military equipment, vehicles and various types of weapons.
The forces have also tightened their positions around Ta’izz after seizing the al-Safiya area and cutting a major supply route linking the city to Aden.
The move has further strengthened the long-standing encirclement of Ta’izz, with Ansarullah-led forces holding positions to the north, east and west of the city.
The Yemeni forces also took control of a police station in al-Safiya, adding another position to their gains around the strategic city.
The latest advances have come amid heavy clashes with Saudi mercenaries attempting to retake areas along Yemen’s western coast and near Bab al-Mandab, one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.
Saudi mercenaries have claimed advances near Dhubab and the eastern side of Bab al-Mandab, including the airport in the district.
Al Jazeera’s Sana’a correspondent reported that the Saudi-backed former fugitive government had managed to penetrate some of those areas.
The Ansarullah-led Yemeni armed forces, however, have described such claims as “imaginary victories” and said they remain in control of the entrance to the strategic waterway and other areas captured since last month, including several Red Sea islands.
Escalation across the border
The latest operations follow an expanding Saudi military campaign against Yemen and come after Saudi-backed forces launched a counteroffensive aimed at retaking territory captured by the Ansarullah-led Yemeni armed forces along the western coast.
The Yemeni armed forces have responded with a series of retaliatory operations against Saudi military and energy targets.
On Tuesday, the forces announced a large-scale wave of attacks against Saudi targets, including King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and an Aramco refinery in Rabigh, where fires were reportedly seen.
Saudi forces have also continued their attacks on Yemen. The latest escalation has revived large-scale fighting in a conflict that has persisted for more than a decade.
Saudi Arabia intervened militarily in Yemen in 2015 in support of the former regime after Ansarullah forces took control of the capital, Sana’a.
A UN-brokered truce in 2022 largely halted the most intense fighting but failed to produce a lasting political settlement.
The latest fighting has now spread across several strategically important fronts, from Saudi Arabia’s southern border and the cities of Jizan and Asir to Aden, Ta’izz and the Bab al-Mandab waterway.
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