Saudi Arabia reports fresh Houthi attacks, issues warning for Mecca

Last week, Saudi Arabia accused the group of targeting Mecca with a drone for the first time since 2017. The Houthis denied the accusation.(AFP) — Saudi Arabia intercepted six Houthi ballistic missiles Thursday after issuing warnings for several areas, including Mecca, as the Iran-backed group intensified attacks on the kingdom.The attacks came as fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces raged in Yemen, killing at least 150 people on both sides, according to an AFP tally based on accounts from seven sources.The missiles were the latest in a series of escalating Houthi attacks since July, when renewed hostilities shattered a yearslong truce and drew Yemen into a wider Middle East war.Since then, the Houthis have imposed a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, attacked its tankers and territory, and seized swaths of Yemen’s Red Sea coast, which is vital for Saudi oil exports.The Saudi-led coalition, which has supported Yemen’s government against the Houthis since 2015, said it intercepted six ballistic missiles aimed at Taif and Yanbu.“Escalations and violations by the terrorist Houthi militia will be dealt with firmly,” coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said in a series of posts on X.Earlier, Saudi Civil Defense issued a brief series of alerts, including one for Mecca, home to Islam’s holiest sites. It also issued warnings for Yanbu, Taif, Jeddah and Tabuk.The alerts were lifted a few minutes later. In recent weeks, such alerts have often preceded Houthi attacks.Last week, Saudi Arabia accused the group of targeting Mecca with a drone for the first time since 2017. It said the drone was downed. The Houthis denied the accusation.Days later, the group attacked the Saudi capital, Riyadh, for the first time in years, marking another escalation in the conflict.Strategic hilltopsAs the Houthis targeted Saudi Arabia on Thursday, battles raged on the ground in Yemen.At least 150 Houthi fighters and government troops were killed in the past 24 hours, sources from both sides told AFP. The fighting included clashes over hilltops overlooking the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the mouth of the Red Sea.At least 98 government troops were killed, according to an AFP tally based on accounts from five military sources. Most died in Houthi ballistic missile and drone attacks, including dozens of Yemeni troops guarding the Saudi side of the border.The Houthis later claimed they had launched a barrage of ballistic missiles and drones at command centers and weapons depots in southern Saudi Arabia. The group said Yemeni, Sudanese and Saudi personnel were killed or injured.At least 52 Houthi fighters were killed in other clashes, two sources from the group said.Fighters on both sides were also killed in clashes in the Kahboub Mountains and areas between Lahj and Taiz. The Houthis are seeking to control highlands overlooking the Bab al-Mandab Strait to protect territory they recently seized.A fragile 2022 truce between the Houthis and Yemen’s government fell apart in July after the group allowed an Iranian plane to land in Sanaa in defiance of Saudi Arabia’s control over Yemeni airspace, setting off a series of attacks.The Houthis later announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and began attacking its tankers and territory.Their gains have strengthened the hold of Iran and its allies on two waterways that Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, rely on to export oil and other fuel products.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads