Houthis deny Mecca, Medina attacks, say Saudi airports, oil sites targeted

The Houthis denied targeting Mecca and Medina after Saudi Arabia intercepted missiles towards the regions. The escalation threatens the fragile truce while extending attacks across Saudi Arabia and Aden.Houthis have targeted several Saudi facilities, including oil installations, airports and military sites, over the past few days. (REUTERS//File Photo)Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group on Saturday denied reports that it had attacked Mecca and Medina, Islam's two holiest cities, after Saudi Arabia said it intercepted missiles launched towards the regions and reported falling debris in several locations.The Houthis said their military operations target Saudi oil facilities and military installations, adding that they publicly announce such attacks when they take place. The denial came amid a fresh escalation in cross-border hostilities, with the group claiming strikes on Saudi oil infrastructure and airports, while Yemen's internationally recognised government reported missile attacks on coast guard installations in the southern port city of Aden.Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence said shrapnel from two intercepted ballistic missiles fell in the Mecca and Medina regions, with debris reported near Mecca and in Jeddah, Taif and Rabigh. The Houthis have denied targeting the two holy cities.HOUTHIS CLAIM ATTACKS ON SAUDI OIL FACILITIES, AIRPORTSHouthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group had targeted several Saudi installations, including King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, an Aramco facility in Yanbu, the Rabigh oil refinery, crude oil pumping stations and the East-West Pipeline. He also claimed attacks on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, an airport in Najran and an airbase in Khamis Mushait.The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said it had destroyed two ballistic missiles fired towards Yanbu and Taif. Saudi authorities did not directly respond to the Houthis' claims about the other targets. It remained unclear whether any of the reported attacks had struck their intended targets or whether they had been intercepted. Saudi authorities reported missile debris near locations in the kingdom, including areas around Rabigh, where a refinery was among the facilities the Houthis said they had targeted.Earlier on Saturday, Saudi Civil Defence issued alerts warning residents of potential danger in Taif, Yanbu, Mecca and Jeddah. The agency said about 10 minutes later that the threat had passed.MISSILE STRIKES REPORTED AT COAST GUARD SITES IN ADENThe escalation also extended to southern Yemen, where the internationally recognised government accused the Houthis of firing three ballistic missiles at coast guard installations in Aden.The government's Interior Ministry said two missiles struck a coast guard headquarters, while the third hit a coast guard building in the Tawahi district.Saree, however, said the group's forces had targeted Saudi-backed military gatherings at what he described as Al-Nasr camp and a naval military base in Aden. He alleged that Saudi officers were overseeing the mobilisation at those sites.There was no immediate comment from the Saudi-led coalition on the Houthi spokesperson's claims regarding the military targets in Aden.RENEWED FIGHTING THREATENS FRAGILE YEMEN TRUCEThe latest clashes have undermined a United Nations-brokered truce agreed in 2022, which had largely halted cross-border attacks between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis.The coalition backs Yemen's internationally recognised government, while the Houthis control the capital, Sanaa, and large parts of the country's north.The renewed confrontation has opened another front in the wider US-Israeli war on Iran, as Tehran-aligned Houthi forces intensify their attacks on Saudi targets.Earlier this month, the Houthis warned airlines against using Saudi airspace, exempting only the airspace over Mecca and Medina. The warning came as the group stepped up its military campaign against the kingdom.Mecca and Medina hold central religious significance for Muslims worldwide. Mecca is home to the Kaaba, the focal point of Muslim prayers and the destination of the annual Haj pilgrimage, while Medina houses the Prophet's Mosque and is Islam's second-holiest city.- EndsWith inputs from Reuters