By SCM International Desk I Monday, Oct.19,2026
SANAA, Yemen — Saudi warplanes and missile forces conducted a sweeping series of strikes across Yemen over a 24-hour period, targeting civilian infrastructure and urban centers across nine provinces, according to a statement issued by the Houthi movement’s military spokesperson, Yahya Saree.
Brigadier General Saree said the barrage included 110 combined airstrikes and missile attacks hitting targets in the capital, Sanaa, as well as the governorates of Hodeidah, Taiz, Amran, Hajjah, Saada, Al-Jawf, Dhale, and Marib.
The military spokesperson claimed that the operations involved F-15 and Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft staging out of the Khamis Mushait and Taif airbases in southwestern Saudi Arabia, alongside cross-border missile launches from Najran. Saree stated that the strikes resulted in more than 30 casualties—including fatalities and injuries, primarily among women and children—bringing the claimed total of Saudi air and missile strikes to 2,652 since the latest wave of escalation began.
Independent verification of the casualty counts and the exact targets struck was not immediately available.
The Saudi-led coalition has not publicly confirmed the specific scope of the 24-hour operations or commented on the civilian casualty figures reported by the Houthis.
The reported wave of aerial operations highlights a renewed intensification in the long-running conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement in Yemen.
Following years of devastating conflict that began in 2015—when a Saudi-led military coalition intervened in Yemen to restore the internationally recognized government after Houthis seized the capital—the region experienced periods of relative quiet supported by informal ceasefires and diplomatic negotiations mediated by regional actors.
However, regional tensions have surged dramatically over recent months, complicated by broader Middle Eastern conflicts and cross-border drone and missile exchanges.
The airbases highlighted in Saree’s statement—Khamis Mushait (King Khalid Air Base) and Taif (King Fahd Air Base)—have historically served as primary staging facilities for Saudi aerial operations into Yemen.
Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned that escalated military strikes on key population hubs, particularly the port city of Hodeidah and the densely populated capital of Sanaa, severely strain critical infrastructure and worsen human suffering in a nation where millions remain reliant on international humanitarian aid.
