900+ Saudi Strikes, 800 Houthi Bodies Reportedly Scattered Across Mountains, Mecca On Alert

Saudi Arabia has carried out more than 900 air and missile strikes against Yemen since the latest escalation began, according to the Houthi movement, while Saudi-backed Yemeni forces claim the bodies of more than 800 Houthi fighters were found scattered across mountains and valleys in Taiz. The claims came as Saudi Arabia intercepted six Houthi ballistic missiles and issued brief security alerts for Mecca, Taif, Yanbu, Jeddah and Tabuk.

Saudi Arabia said the six ballistic missiles were intercepted on Thursday, with the reported targets including Taif and the Yanbu area. The Civil Defence separately issued a warning for Mecca through the National Early Warning Platform, alerting residents to a “potential danger”. The warnings were lifted minutes later.

The latest escalation is also playing out on the battlefield in Yemen. Saudi-backed government forces say they have repelled fresh Houthi attacks in Taiz, including assaults around strategic positions and routes linking the province with Aden. Government forces have also reported capturing Houthi fighters, including a senior field commander.

Houthi positions have come under sustained pressure as Saudi air power and Saudi-backed Yemeni forces target the group across several fronts. The Houthis, however, continue to hold substantial territory and have made major gains along Yemen’s western coast.

The Houthis have claimed that Saudi Arabia launched hundreds of air and missile strikes against Yemen. The group says the strikes have killed and wounded civilians and damaged communications networks, schools, bridges and roads. These battlefield and casualty claims could not be independently verified.

Houthi officials have also warned that any direct US military intervention in Yemen could trigger attacks against American interests in West Asia. A Houthi military adviser said Washington would face a response if it intervened to support Saudi Arabia or attempted to secure the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

The humanitarian consequences are mounting. More than 130,000 people have been displaced inside Yemen since the latest escalation, according to recent UN figures, with Taiz accounting for a large share of the new displacement. The UN has warned that the number could rise further if the fighting continues at its current pace.

Thousands of Yemenis have also fled towards Djibouti, abandoning homes, farms and livestock as fighting spreads. Aid agencies are already dealing with severe pressure on camps and other facilities receiving displaced families.