Yemen coalition says it destroyed 127 Houthi mountain storage sites and downed a cruise missile over Medina

The Saudi-led “Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen” announced on Thursday, October 15 that over recent days it destroyed 127 storage sites in mountain areas used by the Houthis, as well as “several” launch platforms. At a press conference, coalition spokesman Brigadier General Turki al-Maliki showed video of strikes on a ballistic missile storage site in Saada province and on tunnels and missile depots in Sanaa. The Houthis, he said, use tunnel entrances and cavities in the mountains to launch missiles.

“We have all the capabilities to deal with the threats of the terrorist Houthi militia against the Kingdom,” he said. “The Houthi militia must immediately stop all of its terrorist operations targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure.” In his closing message he added that the Houthis “must read the coalition’s statement carefully and read between the lines”.

1,104 missiles and 1,135 drones

Al-Maliki said that since the start of operations 1,104 missiles and 1,135 drones have been launched at Saudi Arabia, and that attacks on airports have caused 19 deaths and 364 injuries. Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport was attacked 20 times between October 1 and 11, with 10 drones, 4 ballistic missiles, 4 cruise missiles and 2 unidentified projectiles, leaving 17 dead and 333 injured. The deadliest was the attack of October 10, with 12 dead and 309 injured, as covered in our report on the King Khalid attack.

The spokesman called attempts to hit the Two Holy Mosques “heinous” and said the Houthis obtained advanced technology “with the help of regional actors”.

A missile over Medina

Earlier the same day the coalition announced that a cruise missile had been intercepted and destroyed over the Medina area, without naming who launched it or what the target was. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree denied that his forces carried out any operation against Saudi territory on Thursday. A drone was also intercepted over the Eastern Province, without casualties, the day after the attack on Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran, covered in our report on the Dhahran strike.

In the evening the Houthis’ Saba agency reported that a “military operations base” at the presidential palace in Aden had been hit. Yemeni government Information Minister Muammar al-Eryani said five missiles targeted the palace but that “the prime minister and all members of the government are safe”. No damage or casualties were announced.

Gulf–EU summit postponed

The second summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council with the EU, due to be held in Riyadh on October 24 with the Union’s 27 leaders, has been postponed. Secretary General Jasem Albudaiwi cited the continuing Houthi attacks and the prolonged suspension of operations at King Khalid airport. Greece had condemned the attacks on Saudi airports at the UN.