Houthis claim major missile attack on Saudi air base

Yemen's Houthi movement claimed on Monday to have launched a large-scale missile and drone attack on a major Saudi air base, marking a significant escalation in the long-running conflict between the two sides. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree stated in a video statement that the group targeted King Khalid Air Base in the southern city of Khamis Mushait with dozens of ballistic missiles and drones. He claimed the strikes hit aircraft hangars, radars, runways, ammunition depots, and other military facilities, causing "significant damage" with "precision and direct hits." The Houthis said the operation was retaliation for more than 300 Saudi airstrikes across several Yemeni provinces over the past five days. Saree warned that any further Saudi attacks would be met with "broader and more intense" operations inside Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia's Civil Defense issued an alert for the Khamis Mushait governorate but later stated the danger had passed. There was no immediate official Saudi confirmation of the Houthi claims regarding damage at the air base. The attack occurred amid a sharp escalation in the conflict.