Houthis Accuse Saudi Arabia of Dozens of Airstrikes Across Yemen
Yemen's Houthi rebels accused Saudi Arabia of launching dozens of airstrikes across Yemen on Sept. 15, 2026. The claim followed a public vow by the Saudi-led coalition to respond firmly to Houthi missile and drone attacks on cities in Saudi Arabia. Al Jazeera
The Houthis said Saudi Arabia carried out 54 air raids in the 24 hours before Sept. 15 across Lahj, Taiz, al-Jawf, Marib and Hajjah governorates. A governorate is Yemen's term for a province. The list runs from Lahj in the south to al-Jawf and Hajjah in the north, with Marib in the center and Taiz in the southwest. The reporting included no independent verification.
In a wider tally, the Houthis said Saudi warplanes carried out 300 air raids across Yemen in the five days before Sept. 15. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets flying from Saudi airbases in Khamis Mushait and Taif were used. Khamis Mushait hosts King Khalid Air Base, a central base for coalition air operations in the south.
Houthi-aligned media said the Saudi attacks killed three civilians, including two children, and injured at least two others in Dhubab and Maqbanah districts in Taiz province. Those reported casualties were limited to two districts along Yemen's western corridor facing the Red Sea. The reports did not specify the type of weapons used.
Coalition spokesperson Maj.-Gen. Turki al-Maliki said the Joint Forces Command "will deal with Houthi attacks responsibly and firmly to protect the sovereignty of the kingdom." The Saudi-led coalition said Houthi attacks targeted Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif in Saudi Arabia. It said those attacks wounded 13 civilians with minor to moderate injuries and damaged seven homes and two vehicles.
The exchange involves strikes across the border in both directions. The Houthis said on Sept. 14 they fired dozens of missiles and drones at King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait. Earlier, on Sept. 9, the Houthis attacked the southern Saudi cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait and Jazan with ballistic missiles and drones. Ballistic missiles travel in a high arc and fall very fast, leaving little time to intercept them. Reuters
The broader context here is a familiar back-and-forth, but targeting choices raise the political cost on both sides. Strikes described as aimed at airbases and city areas shorten decision time for air defense crews and political leaders. Civilian injuries and damage to homes, as claimed by both sides, tend to increase public pressure to retaliate rather than de-escalate.
Looking at what this means for the next phase, tempo, geography and attribution are the key variables. A claimed rate of dozens of flights per day across five governorates, if sustained, would point to a theater-wide effort to block movement and supplies rather than a limited reprisal. Parallel Houthi claims of long-range missiles and one-way attack drones aimed at Taif and Khamis Mushait point to an attempt to threaten the bases where coalition air missions begin. The issue to watch is whether strike warnings, civilian casualty investigations and airspace management follow, or whether both sides settle into sustained exchange without those guardrails.
