Yemen's Houthis say targeted military facilities in Saudi Arabia

Yemen's Houthis said Monday they had fired dozens of drones and ballistic missiles at military targets in Saudi Arabia, in retaliation for airstrikes by Riyadh in Yemen.

"The Yemeni armed forces conducted a large-scale military operation targeting military installations and infrastructure, including fighter jet hangars, radars, runways, ammunition depots, and other targets located at King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait," said Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree, adding that the operation "inflicted significant losses".

Saudi Civil Defence issued brief alerts on Monday in the neighbouring cities of Khamis Mushait and Abha. Overnight it had also issued brief alerts in the area and closer to the border with Yemen.

A Khamis Mushait resident told AFP he heard "intense blasts" which left fires burning for a "long time".

"Honestly, we couldn't sleep at all."

Saree accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out "more than 300 airstrikes in the past five days" across Yemen, "launched from Khamis Mushait and Taif airbases".

The Houthis have been engaged in renewed fighting with Saudi-backed government forces since Yemen's civil war reignited in July, when the group declared a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia and began targeting its ships in the Red Sea.

On Sunday the Houthis said they used drones and missiles to attack the Sharurah base in southern Saudi Arabia, days after Tuesday's strikes that wounded dozens of people in the south, according to Saudi authorities.

The latest clashes follow a week-long Houthi offensive that culminated in the group capturing Yemen's Red Sea coast, cementing their hold on the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

The waterway is a vital artery for Saudi oil exports as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed amid the US-Iran war.