Houthis fired three ballistic missiles at Saudi Arabia

Conflict between Yemen's Houthi rebels and the Saudi-led military coalition has intensified once again.

The Saudi-led military coalition reported on Friday that Houthi forces fired three ballistic missiles toward the southern Saudi city of Khamis Mushait; all three were intercepted in mid-air.

A local resident was injured by falling debris from a ballistic missile that was intercepted over the Ahad Rafidah governorate in the southern Asir region.

Saudi Arabia's Civil Defense agency stated in a post on the social media platform X that falling missile debris caused damage to a building and also damaged several vehicles.

Meanwhile, the Houthis have claimed that Saudi Arabia carried out 94 attacks in Yemen over the past 24 hours. However, there has been no independent confirmation regarding these attacks.

At the same time, fighting has escalated around Taiz, one of Yemen's major cities.

The ongoing battle has spread to mountainous areas that overlook the Red Sea coast; the Houthis have recently gained control over some of these areas.

Taiz is considered Yemen's third-largest city and its cultural capital, with a population of approximately one million.

Saudi Arabia is preparing to launch a military operation against the Houthi rebels.

According to a report by the news agency Reuters, several options are being considered for the operation. These include military action in coastal areas to secure Red Sea shipping lanes and simultaneous attacks across multiple fronts in Yemen.

Officials indicate that the operation could be launched in the coming weeks. Saudi-backed Yemeni forces will lead the campaign on the ground, while the Saudi military will provide support through airstrikes; six people speaking to Reuters provided details about the preparations.