Heavy airstrikes overnight have destroyed a ballistic missile launch site that was a high value target in the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa, Yemen.
The Saudi-led military alliance in Yemen announced the destruction of the launch site on November 23rd, while residents reported hearing big explosions overnight.
The Houthi movement is a terrorist group backed by Iran, and has their own broadcaster: Al Masirah TV. According to reporting from that broadcaster, which has been described as state propaganda, three airstrikes perpetrated by the Saudi-led coalition hit a residential district in the capital.
There have been no immediate reports of casualties.
A statement put out by the Saudi state news agency contradicts Al Masirah’s reports, claiming that the air strikes were conducted against “legitimate military targets” in Sanaa.
The Saudi news agency’s statement described the ballistic missile sites as “secret”, and reported that one of “high-value” had been destroyed.
As is common for terrorist groups, the “secret positions” of the ballistic missile sites had used hospitals, organizations, and civilians as human shields.
Prior to the airstrikes, the coalition had asked civilians to avoid approaching or gathering near the positions.
Speaking with Reuters, residents stated that explosions had rocked the northern neighborhoods of Sanaa, reporting that two military sites had been attacked.
This conflict is ongoing. According to Reuters:
“The Houthis have repeatedly launched cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia using drones and missiles since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 after the movement ousted the Saudi-backed government from the capital.
The Houthi movement said on Saturday it had fired 14 drones at several Saudi cities, including at Saudi Aramco facilities in Jeddah…
The conflict is widely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The Houthis are pressing an offensive in Marib, the internationally recognised government’s last northern stronghold, as well as in other areas in Yemen.“