Houthis target Medina, Yemen's presidential palace again in fresh escalation

The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said on Friday that it had intercepted and destroyed a drone launched by the group over the Medina region, home to the Prophet's Mosque, one of Islam's holiest sites.

In Short

• Houthis launched drone and missile attacks on Medina and Aden on Friday
• Saudi-led coalition intercepted drones near Medina and Mecca holy sites
• Houthis deny targeting holy sites, claim focus on military and oil facilities

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis launched a fresh wave of attacks on Friday, targeting Saudi Arabia's Islamic holy city of Medina with a drone and firing ballistic missiles at the Maashiq presidential palace complex and airport in the southern Yemeni city of Aden, according to Saudi and Yemeni officials.

The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said on Friday that it had intercepted and destroyed a drone launched by the group over the Medina region, home to the Prophet's Mosque, one of Islam's holiest sites. Earlier, the coalition reported intercepting another drone in the Mecca region, which attracts millions of Muslim pilgrims every year.

Meanwhile, the group had targeted the palace with two missiles, a police official told news agency AFP. The latest escalation marks a widening of the conflict between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition, which backs Yemen's government.

A Yemeni government military spokesperson said the Houthis attacked Aden airport and the Maashiq presidential palace complex with ballistic missiles on Friday. The statement did not specify whether the missiles struck their intended targets or provide details of casualties and damage. However, two eyewitnesses told AFP they saw ambulances entering the palace compound, which consists of several buildings. Residents and an AFP journalist also reported hearing two explosions in the city shortly before.

Aden, a southern port city, serves as the base of Yemen's internationally recognised government, which was driven out of the capital, Sanaa, by the Houthis in 2014. The city has faced repeated attacks since fighting intensified again in July.

Friday's reported missile strikes followed another Houthi attack on Aden airport on Wednesday. The group had issued an evacuation warning before the strike. The airport is a critical entry point for humanitarian operations in southern Yemen.

DRONE INTERCEPTIONS NEAR HOLY CITIES

The reported drone interceptions have drawn particular attention because of the locations involved. Mecca is home to the Grand Mosque and the Kaaba, while Medina houses the Prophet's Mosque. Both cities hold immense religious significance for Muslims and receive millions of pilgrims and visitors.

Saudi Arabia has previously accused the Houthis of attempting to target areas around the two cities. In September, the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted a drone south of Mecca before it entered the restricted airspace around the holy city. The coalition described the incident as the second alleged Houthi attempt to target Mecca.

The accusations resurfaced in October, when the coalition alleged that the Houthis had struck a power distribution station in Medina that supplied electricity to the Prophet's Mosque. The group denied responsibility, describing the allegation as false.

The Houthis have repeatedly rejected claims that they have targeted Mecca or Medina, stating that their military operations are directed at Saudi military installations and energy infrastructure.

On Friday, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree again dismissed the coalition's account of a drone attack towards Saudi Arabia as false in a post on X. He said the group had not carried out any operation against Saudi territory and maintained that its operations targeted Saudi oil facilities and military bases.

HOW THE YEMEN CONFLICT SPREAD

The latest escalation is part of a broader confrontation that has intensified in recent months. The Houthis control Sanaa and much of northwestern Yemen, while the internationally recognised government is backed by Saudi Arabia and its regional allies.

The civil war began in 2014 after the Houthis seized Sanaa and forced the government from the capital. Saudi Arabia intervened in March 2015, leading a coalition of countries to support the government and fight the Iran-aligned movement.

A United Nations-brokered truce in 2022 largely halted major fighting and cross-border attacks for a period. However, renewed hostilities have shattered that relative calm, with the Houthis stepping up attacks on Saudi territory and government-held areas of Yemen.

The conflict has also acquired a wider regional dimension amid the US-Israeli war on Iran. Last month, Houthi forces advanced towards the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world's most strategically important shipping routes, connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Government forces have since pushed to retake territory along Yemen's Red Sea coast, in a move that could weaken the Houthis' hold over the strategic waterway. The Saudi-led coalition has also stepped up strikes against Houthi positions in response to the group's attacks.

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With inputs from agencies