Three injured, two airports damaged in Houthi attacks on Saudi territory

Three people were injured and two airports near the Yemen border sustained damage after Houthi forces struck Saudi Arabian territory on Monday evening. The strikes targeted King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz airport in Jazan and Najran airport.

The Saudi Civil Aviation Authority confirmed the casualties and structural harm on Tuesday. “The attacks resulted in three minor injuries and material damage,” the authority said in a statement. Specialized response teams addressed the incidents immediately, and officials are currently assessing the full extent of the damage while implementing safety protocols for passengers and staff.

Regional leaders quickly condemned the strikes. Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jassim al-Budaiwi labeled the airport attacks a dangerous escalation. Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also denounced the actions, accusing the Iran-aligned group of deliberately targeting civilians and economic infrastructure.

The airport strikes coincide with intensified fighting across Yemen. Early Tuesday, the Saudi-led coalition announced it destroyed a ballistic missile launch platform in Sanaa. Coalition forces also eliminated a storage facility in Saada that held 20 ballistic missiles.

These air operations support a broader ground campaign by Yemeni government-aligned troops. The forces launched a counteroffensive last month to reclaim territory lost to the Houthis and now report control over the Red Sea port city of Mocha and the strategic Bab al-Mandeb strait. The Saudi-led coalition confirmed that 100 fighter jets are providing air support for the advance. Saudi naval forces have also opened operations against Houthi positions in Hodeidah governorate.

In response to the cross-border strikes, Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia agreed to activate deterrence measures under a mutual defense pact. “The committee agreed to activate collective deterrence measures, within the framework of the Alliance, in response to the attacks and all those responsible for them,” Saudi defence minister Khalid bin Salman stated. The alliance will rapidly deploy forces to the Gulf kingdom to counter further Houthi operations.

Former United Nations Security Council adviser on Yemen Fernando Carvajal said Mocha will dictate the next phase of the conflict. He noted that government forces must prove they can hold the city, which remains surrounded by Houthi fighters on three sides, before utilizing it as a forward base. Carvajal added that the practical support from allied nations remains unclear, and any Pakistani mediation efforts might exclude the Yemeni government if the Houthis choose to negotiate solely with Riyadh.