Key Takeaways
- Yemen's Houthis deny launching drones towards Saudi Arabia's Medina.
- Saudi-led coalition intercepted drones over Medina and the Eastern region.
- Houthis claim attacks on Saudi Aramco, airports, and military targets.
Yemen's Houthis have denied launching drones towards Saudi Arabia's holy city of Medina, contradicting earlier claims by the Saudi-led coalition. In a statement, the Houthis spokesperson Yahya Saree refuted the coalition's assertion that drones were intercepted over Medina and the Eastern region.
The denial comes amidst heightened tensions between the two sides, with the coalition accusing the Houthis of intensifying attacks on the kingdom, which is the world's largest oil exporter. The Houthis had previously warned airlines to avoid using Saudi airspace, except for the holy cities of Makkah and Medina.
The conflict in Yemen, one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, has been ongoing since 2014, when the Houthis drove the government out of the northern capital, Sanaa, leading to Saudi-led military intervention. Recent fighting has escalated, ending a 2022 UN-brokered truce that had largely halted cross-border attacks.
Within Yemen, the Houthis have claimed responsibility for an attack on a military camp near the airport in the southern city of Aden, where the Yemeni government is based. A government military source and a local official told Reuters that the group also attacked Riyan airport in the southeastern coastal city of Mukalla.
The escalation in the conflict has opened another front in the US-Israeli war on Iran, with the Houthis claiming an attack on a military camp near the airport in Aden. A Houthi missile attack on a government security forces training camp in Yemen's Shabwa province on Monday killed 73 people.
The denial by the Houthis adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing conflict, with both sides accusing each other of launching attacks. The situation remains volatile, with no immediate resolution in sight.
The denial by the Houthis comes as the Saudi-led coalition continues to intercept drones and conduct military operations in Yemen. The conflict has had significant implications for regional stability and global oil markets.
