Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for an attack on the main airport in Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh, and asserted they still control territory recently lost to government forces as fighting intensifies.
The claims come as Yemeni government forces announced a counter-offensive, stating on Monday they had pushed Houthi fighters out of the Bab al-Mandab area, a critical shipping route in the Red Sea, and the port city of Mocha. However, these assertions from both sides are difficult to independently verify due to the rapidly evolving situation on the ground and limited access for journalists.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree stated on Telegram that the group maintains full control over all its territorial advances, including strategic locations along the Red Sea coast. He further reported that Houthi forces conducted numerous strikes in the past few hours targeting government positions in Yemen's Al-Jawf and Marib regions, as well as the Taiz governorate.
The Houthis announced late Monday evening that they had targeted Riyadh airport and a refinery belonging to Saudi state oil giant Aramco, with loud explosions reported in the Saudi capital. On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia's civilian aviation authority confirmed that at least three individuals were injured in attacks on the airports of Jazan and Najran, located near the Yemen border, the previous day.
Saudi Arabia, a primary supporter of the Yemeni government, is providing air support for the ongoing government counter-offensive. Government forces claimed late Monday to have secured "victories on several fronts." However, military sources close to the government refrained from officially confirming the capture of Mocha, only stating that a key supply route to the area had been severed. They also reported expelling Houthi forces from several areas in Taiz, in the southwest, where clashes have significantly escalated in recent days.
The Yemeni government has declared its objective to reclaim all territory held by the Houthis, which encompasses the majority of the country's population and has been under rebel control for over a decade. The conflict re-ignited in July after a period of relative calm, marking a new phase in the broader Middle East war. In the past month, the Houthis gained control of Yemen's entire western coastline along the Red Sea, resulting in the deadliest fighting in years. Since then, they have consistently targeted Saudi oil and military installations and have imposed a maritime blockade on Saudi vessels.
