Saudi-led coalition hits 82 Houthi targets after airport attacks kill three

The Saudi-led coalition launched a retaliatory military operation on Wednesday, 7 October, destroying 82 Houthi targets across four Yemeni provinces. The strikes follow recent Houthi drone and missile attacks on civilian airports in Riyadh and Abha that resulted in three deaths and 36 injuries. Ballistic Missile Facilities Destroyed Coalition spokesman Major-General Turki Al-Maliki confirmed that the aerial operation targeted military infrastructure in Saada, Hodeidah, Al-Jawf, and Marib. According to official statements, the strikes destroyed 11 mountain-based ballistic-missile storage facilities located in Saada. The coalition also hit command-and-control centres, communications systems, and weapons depots used by the militia. Major-General Al-Maliki stated that the strikes were a direct response to the targeting of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Abha International Airport. He declared that attacks on civilian infrastructure would not go unpunished. The Iran-backed Houthi group previously claimed responsibility for the airport strikes, confirming the use of drones and ballistic missiles in the assaults. Escalation in Regional Conflict The current exchange represents a sharp escalation in the Yemeni conflict as Saudi-backed government forces attempt to reclaim territory from Houthi control. The fighting has intensified in Marib, a strategic province that remains a focal point of the ground war. Saudi air defences have intercepted multiple Houthi drones and…