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Yemen's Houthi movement claimed Thursday that it launched dozens of ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi military installations in the kingdom's southwestern Jazan region, an assault the Saudi-led coalition said it largely intercepted before it could reach the cities of Taif and Yanbu.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the operation targeted command-and-control centers, operations rooms and weapons depots in the Al-Tuwal area of Jazan, along with missile launch sites at Al-Daghareer camp and other Saudi military camps in the region. He described the strikes as "accurate and direct" and said they caused hundreds of casualties among Saudi forces as well as Yemeni and Sudanese personnel stationed there. Saree also claimed several Saudi weapons depots were destroyed or set on fire.
Saudi-led coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki gave a different account, saying six ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis were intercepted and destroyed, foiling an attempt to strike the cities of Taif and Yanbu. He did not say whether the interceptions caused any damage on the ground. "The escalation and violations of the Houthi terrorist militia will be dealt with firmly," al-Maliki said.
Saudi Arabia's Civil Defense said later that the danger had passed in Mecca, Taif and the northwestern Tabuk region, after emergency warnings had been issued earlier for those areas as well as Jeddah and Yanbu.
Thursday's exchange is the latest in a string of missile and drone attacks Saudi Arabia has attributed to the Houthis in recent days. The rebels announced a "maritime blockade" on Saudi Arabia on July 20 and have since claimed missile and drone strikes on Saudi-linked vessels and sites.
Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition backing Yemen's internationally recognized government since March 2015 in its fight against the Houthis, who have held the capital, Sanaa, and several provinces since September 2014. The conflict, one of the world's longest-running, has repeatedly drawn missile and drone fire toward Saudi territory over the past decade.
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