Yemen’s Houthis have denied Saudi assertions that they fired a drone toward Mecca, Islam’s holiest city, as the war between the internationally recognised government and the Iran-allied group grows deadlier. A Houthi spokesperson made the denial on Wednesday, calling the Saudi statements “lies”.
The spokesperson said a drone had instead been aimed at a pumping station in Yanbu, on the Red Sea, and that King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was targeted with three cruise missiles.
Earlier, Saudi-led coalition forces had said they intercepted three cruise missiles fired toward Riyadh, along with drones sent toward Mecca and the kingdom’s southern regions. Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence Authority said debris from intercepting two ballistic missiles fell in the village of Sabuhah, in Mecca province.
Also read: Saudi coalition says it downed two Houthi missiles at Riyadh · Saudi Arabia says missile debris fell near Makkah region
Fighting escalates across Yemen’s front lines
Saudi-backed forces fighting for the government have pressed their offensive inside Yemen. Majed Abdullah al-Nuzaili, the spokesperson for Yemen’s army, said at least 138 Houthi fighters had been killed or wounded in hundreds of targeted attacks.
In a post on X, al-Nuzaili said the army had carried out 773 field artillery attacks, 44 drone strikes and 37 rocket attacks in al-Jawf, Marib, al-Bayda and Taiz governorates. He added that coalition aircraft had flown 23 air strikes against the Houthis, damaging 86 heavy weapons and military vehicles.
Shelling reaches Aden’s al-Buraiqa district
Despite these gains elsewhere, Saudi-backed forces have not been able to halt Houthi attacks on the al-Buraiqa district of Aden, where the internationally recognised government is based.
Minister of Information Salem al-Awalqi said in a social media post that the Houthi militia had repeatedly shelled Aden, most recently the densely populated al-Buraiqa district, and accused it of routinely targeting civilians. He said the attacks would not break the will of Aden’s residents.
Yemen’s Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, claimed in a Telegram post that his forces had “successfully targeted” a coalition command and control centre in al-Buraiqa with several ballistic missiles. He said the site directed Saudi military reinforcements on fronts in Lahij, al-Dhale, Taiz and other governorates.
WHO reports rising casualties and displacement
The World Health Organization said that as of November 8, casualties from the fighting in Yemen had climbed to 11,755, including 2,098 killed and 9,657 wounded. The UN agency said more than 2,000 of those casualties were recorded in just nine days, with Marib and Lahij among the worst-hit governorates.
According to the WHO, more than 320,000 people have been displaced since August 1, including almost 16,000 who fled their homes in the past week. The agency said strikes had also hit health facilities and ambulances, and warned that severe fuel shortages were disrupting emergency medical services in Taiz.
The WHO acknowledged the delivery of medical supplies and a vaccination campaign aimed at nearly one million children. However, it said major gaps remain in trauma care, rehabilitation and mental health services.
