SANAA, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group said Wednesday it had launched three cruise missiles at King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh and a drone attack on an oil pumping station in western Saudi Arabia, claiming both operations had achieved their objectives.
In statements posted on social media platform X, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said the cruise missiles targeted the airport, while a separate drone struck Pumping Station No. 11 in the Yanbu area, a major oil hub on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast.
Earlier in the day, Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki said in a statement that Saudi air defenses had intercepted and destroyed three Houthi cruise missiles heading toward the Riyadh region. He also reported the interception and destruction of two Houthi drones in the Mecca region and the country's southern region.
Sarea, however, dismissed the coalition's claim of intercepting a drone over Mecca as fabricated, maintaining that the group's military operations targeted Saudi oil facilities and military bases.
Meanwhile, Yemen's government forces, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, said Wednesday they had carried out a series of air and ground attacks on Houthi positions over the past hours, claiming to have "neutralized" 138 fighters and commanders, a term referring to those killed or wounded.
Yemen has been mired in conflict since late 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and much of northern Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government. ■
