Houthis press attacks on Saudi airports and military sites, deny striking near Makkah

The Houthis are continuing their attacks on airports and military sites — but continue to deny any strikes on or near Makkah. The group targeted the Defense Ministry in the Saudi capital with a ballistic missile and hit Abha International Airport with a drone, the group said. It struck two military transport aircraft with two missiles, the first at Najran Airport and the second at King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait. The Saudi-backed coalition said it intercepted a missile launched toward Taif. The militants have, however, denied Saudi claims of intercepting drones over Makkah, maintaining that they are not targeting holy cities.

Coalition presses on with strikes: The Houthis said on Thursday that the Saudi military had carried out 101 airstrikes and missile attacks over the past 24 hours, targeting Sanaa, Al Jawf, Taiz, Amran, Hajjah, Al Dhalea, Al Mahwit, Lahij, and Saada. The airstrikes were launched from the Khamis Mushait and Taif air bases, according to the group.

The fighting also continues on the ground near Bab Al Mandab, with the Houthis claiming that they had repelled an attempted advance from the south by Saudi-backed forces using missiles and heavy weapons, leaving a large number dead and wounded and destroying several vehicles.

The threat of a wider conflict in the region remains high. Washington has warned several Gulf states to prepare for a brief but forceful US military operation against Iran once the US midterm elections are over, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources in the know. The US is also shipping a Patriot missile defense system from Texas to Israel, and has pulled troops away from exposed bases in the Middle East to prepare for possible escalation.