Houthis report over 50 Saudi airstrikes following drone and missile attacks on border military bases

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement reported on Sunday that Saudi-led coalition aircraft executed more than 50 airstrikes against their positions within 24 hours.

The escalation follows a series of Houthi drone and missile attacks targeting military facilities and border infrastructure in southern Saudi Arabia, deepening regional instability as fighting along Yemen's Red Sea coast continues to flare.

How did the latest military strikes between Houthis and Saudi forces unfold?

According to Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree, Saudi forces carried out 58 airstrikes over a 24-hour period, targeting Houthi strongholds in the northern Saada province and border positions in the Monabbih district. Houthi-aligned Al-Masirah TV also reported strikes on a market in Al-Jawf province as well as positions around the newly captured coastal district of Mocha.

The aerial campaign follows Houthi strikes targeting the Sharurah military base in southern Saudi Arabia, where Houthi forces claimed to have hit weapons depots and command centers using drones and ballistic missiles. Additional projectiles landed near border zones in Jizan, injuring two civilians and damaging local buildings. While the Saudi Civil Defence agency issued brief air raid alerts for the border cities of Abha and Khamis Mushait before lifting them, official Saudi military spokespersons have not formally confirmed the exact number of retaliatory sorties.

What is the humanitarian impact and diplomatic backdrop of the renewed fighting?

The surge in hostilities—which reignited in July 2026 after the Houthis declared a maritime blockade against Saudi oil exports—has produced a growing humanitarian crisis along Yemen's Red Sea coast. According to reports from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), recent fighting has displaced nearly 86,000 people, with over 2,000 civilians fleeing across the Bab al-Mandab Strait to Djibouti.

The conflict's revival comes as Houthi forces established complete operational control over Yemen's western coastline and key islands in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, choking off alternative Saudi crude export routes while the Strait of Hormuz remains blockaded.

According to reporting by Axios and The Guardian, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman appealed to US President Donald Trump during two separate phone calls last week, requesting American airstrikes against Houthi positions, though the White House rejected direct US intervention in Yemen to avoid broadening American military commitments.