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Major General Turki Al-Malki the official spokesperson for the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen announced on Friday that forces had destroyed three missile launchers operated by the Houthi militia. Al-Malki stated the platforms had directly endangered regional security and that further Houthi strikes on civilians or civilian infrastructure would encounter a strong reply. The development follows a week of heightened exchanges that included Houthi assaults on Saudi airports.
Al-Malki issued the update through official channels including a post on X where he detailed the precise targeting of the launch assets. Coalition operations in Yemen have repeatedly focused on neutralising ballistic missile capabilities that have been used against Saudi population centres in recent months. Asharq Al-Awsat reported that the latest action forms part of ongoing efforts to safeguard both Saudi territory and broader maritime routes.
The announcement arrives days after Houthi attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Abha International Airport that left three people dead including a pilot according to the General Authority of Civil Aviation. Arab News reported that one strike hit airport facilities while a second targeted a commercial aircraft on the tarmac resulting in additional injuries. Those incidents prompted earlier coalition strikes that eliminated 82 Houthi military sites across multiple Yemeni provinces.
Al-Malki had previously confirmed the destruction of a ballistic missile launcher in Sanaa that was being prepared for an imminent attack on the kingdom. Coalition assessments listed the targeted sites as including mountain storage facilities command nodes and weapons depots in Saada Hodeidah Al Jawf and Marib. The operations align with the coalition’s mandate to counter threats to civilian life and critical infrastructure.
Fighting has intensified along Yemen’s western Red Sea coast near the Bab Al-Mandab Strait a vital shipping corridor where Houthi activities have disrupted maritime traffic in recent weeks. Arab News noted that Yemeni government forces backed by the coalition have engaged the militia in areas close to key ports increasing pressure on Houthi supply lines. The coalition which began its intervention in 2015 to support Yemen’s internationally recognised government continues to conduct precision strikes against identified military threats.
Regional analysts tracking the conflict have observed a pattern of Houthi escalation followed by calibrated coalition responses aimed at degrading launch capacity. Al-Malki has consistently stressed that all actions adhere to international humanitarian standards while prioritising the protection of non-combatants. The latest statement on Friday reiterated that tolerance for attacks on civilian targets has reached a limit.
