The Saudi-led coalition operating in Yemen announced on Friday night that it had destroyed ballistic missile launch platforms belonging to the Houthi movement in the country’s northwestern Saada province.
Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki confirmed the operation in a statement posted on social media platform X, saying the targeted facilities had been used for launching ballistic missiles.
However, the coalition did not disclose further operational details, including the number of launch platforms destroyed or whether there were any casualties.
The announcement came as Saudi Arabia welcomed a United Nations Security Council presidential statement condemning Houthi attacks against the kingdom and calling for stronger international cooperation to restrict the group’s access to weapons.
In a statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry expressed support for the Security Council’s condemnation of continuing attacks on Saudi territory, particularly those directed at airports and energy facilities.
The ministry also welcomed the council’s criticism of “ongoing threats to navigation in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab.”
Emphasising the need for international action, the ministry stated:
“The Kingdom affirmed the importance of the statement’s provisions, including its emphasis on the importance of full implementation of Security Council resolution 2216 (2015) and subsequent resolutions, and its call for practical cooperation to prevent the terrorist Houthi group from acquiring weapons and other forms of support.”
UN Security Council Resolution 2216, adopted in 2015, demands that the Houthis cease violence, withdraw from territories they seized, including the capital Sanaa, and surrender weapons taken from military and security institutions.
The resolution also calls on the group to stop exercising the authority of Yemen’s internationally recognised government and ensure humanitarian and medical assistance can reach civilians.
Saudi Arabia reiterated its “inherent right under international law” to take necessary measures to safeguard its national security and protect citizens and residents.
The Security Council statement, adopted earlier in the week, condemned attacks against Saudi Arabia and “called for cooperation, including with the Government of Yemen, to prevent the Houthis from acquiring arms and related materiel.”
Yemen’s prolonged conflict began after the Houthis captured Sanaa and other areas in September 2014.
The Saudi-led military coalition intervened in March 2015 in support of Yemen’s internationally recognised government, marking a major escalation in the conflict.
The latest coalition announcement and Saudi diplomatic statement come amid continuing concerns over Houthi missile capabilities, attacks on regional infrastructure and threats to maritime security in the Red Sea.
The coalition’s claims regarding the destruction of missile launch platforms have not been independently verified.