Houthis accuse Saudi Arabia of striking Sanaa airport; coalition says it destroyed 136 targets
Houthi-run media claimed Saudi Arabia carried out 4 strikes on Sanaa airport; the Saudi-led coalition said it destroyed 136 Houthi targets. The claim and the official statement are presented separately.
On 10 October 2026, Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV claimed the Saudi-led coalition carried out 4 air strikes on Sanaa International Airport, along with 3 strikes on a telecommunications network in Hajjah province (al-Mahabishah). Houthi media gave no casualty figures. According to Anadolu Agency, Saudi officials and Yemen's internationally recognized government did not immediately comment on this specific claim.
This is a one-sided claim: the Sanaa airport strike is not independently confirmed, and the coalition statement did not specifically name that target.
The coalition's official statement
The same day, Saudi-led coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki announced that a wide-scale operation had destroyed 136 Houthi military targets and 3 rocket-launch platforms, providing air support to Yemeni forces. Al-Malki said: 'We are working to dismantle and destroy the ballistic missile network of the terrorist Houthi militia.'
A day earlier — attack on Riyadh
On 9 October, the Houthis attacked Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport; according to Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), the attack killed an airline pilot (Capt. Hamoud Ali Alkalthami) and two other Saudi citizens, while people of various nationalities were wounded.
Context — the Mecca Pact
Saudi-Houthi fighting has escalated since July to its most intense phase since the 2022 truce. On 5 October, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan activated the 'Mecca Pact' (signed 7 August) for the first time, agreeing to collective 'deterrence measures' and the deployment of forces to Saudi Arabia. Around the same time, Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council launched a campaign to retake Sanaa.
