The Saudi coalition Houthi operation announced on Friday marks a sharp escalation in Yemen’s long war. The Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen’s internationally recognised government said it had destroyed 136 military targets in Houthi-controlled areas as part of a large-scale offensive.
Coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki said the operation was striking Houthi fighters and their military capabilities, with coalition aircraft providing round-the-clock air support to Yemeni government troops. He said forces were working to dismantle the Houthis’ ballistic missile network as the government pressed its offensive under Operation “Dawn of Yemen”.
Saudi coalition Houthi operation: what was announced
According to al-Maliki, the strikes hit targets across areas held by the Iran-aligned group, which has controlled much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, for years. The coalition’s claims about the number of targets destroyed have not been independently verified.
The announcement follows a week of Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi territory, including strikes aimed at civilian aviation infrastructure. The week’s attacks killed three Saudi citizens and injured others, with one strike hitting airport facilities and a second striking a Saudi Airlines aircraft, according to Saudi media. Passenger services at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport returned to normal on Friday after the attacks, Saudi state media reported, with the broadcaster saying the swift recovery showed the readiness of the kingdom’s civil aviation system.
Europe’s aviation safety body has expanded its warning over Saudi airspace in response to the cross-border attacks, underlining how the fighting is spilling into international travel and trade routes.
A widening confrontation
The offensive is part of a broader government push that has been building for days. Yemeni government forces, backed by the coalition, have sought to retake ground around the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the narrow waterway linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden through which a large share of global shipping passes.
Earlier in the week, coalition officials said 100 fighter jets were supporting government forces, and the United States has provided intelligence and planning support for the offensive, according to regional and US officials.
The Houthis, for their part, have vowed retaliation. Their affiliated channels warned airlines that Saudi airspace was unsafe, and the group claimed strikes on Saudi energy facilities in response to the bombardment of Sanaa and other areas.
Pakistan has been drawn closer to the crisis. Islamabad condemned the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia at the UN Security Council, and Pakistan and Turkiye agreed with Riyadh to deploy forces to the kingdom under their defence pact after attacks menacing the holy cities. The suspension of PIA flights to Riyadh showed how quickly the fighting has affected ordinary Pakistanis, while deadly strikes on Saudi airports earlier in the week, including one that killed a Saudi pilot, raised the stakes further. Yemeni government forces have also struck Houthi targets around Sanaa in recent days.
What happens next
The coalition has framed the operation as open-ended, vowing continued support to Yemeni government forces until the Houthis are defeated. Whether the claimed destruction of 136 targets translates into lasting territorial gains will become clearer as independent reporting from the front lines emerges.
For the region, the immediate questions are whether Houthi retaliation hits Saudi cities or shipping again, and whether the air campaign can be sustained without deepening Yemen’s humanitarian crisis. With the Bab el-Mandeb strait in play, the economic stakes extend well beyond Yemen’s borders.
Frequently asked questions
What did the Saudi-led coalition announce?
On Friday, coalition spokesman Maj Gen Turki al-Maliki announced a large-scale operation against the Houthis, claiming 136 military targets destroyed in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, with round-the-clock air support for Yemeni government troops.
What is Operation ‘Dawn of Yemen’?
It is the Yemeni government’s offensive, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, aimed at retaking state institutions and territory from the Houthis, including areas around the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Why did the operation escalate now?
It follows Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi territory, including repeated strikes affecting Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport during the week.
Have the coalition’s claims been verified?
No. The claim of 136 targets destroyed has not been independently verified.
*Sources: DevDiscourse (syndicated), The Diplomatic Insight.*
