RIYADH: The Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen announced on Friday that it had launched large-scale operations against the Houthi militia. Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki said late on Friday that the strikes targeted different elements and capabilities of the Houthi militia, including its ballistic missile network. “We are working to dismantle and destroy the ballistic missile network of the terrorist Houthi militia,” Al-Maliki said in a post on X, accompanied by footage of the airstrikes. He said coalition forces were providing air support to the Yemeni Armed Forces “around the clock, 24 hours a day.” In subsequent posts, Al-Maliki shared footage of coalition aircraft striking Houthi elements attempting to conceal themselves under pressure from Yemeni government forces in the Bab Al-Mandab area. Other footage showed what he described as Houthi fighters fleeing their positions as government forces advanced with coalition air support. The operations underscore the military coordination between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s internationally recognized government as fighting intensifies along the western Red Sea coast and near the strategic Bab Al-Mandab Strait, a vital shipping route connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Coalition forces also destroyed three Houthi rocket launch platforms used to threaten regional security, Al-Maliki said in a separate post on Friday. “We destroyed 3 rocket launch platforms used by the Houthi militia to threaten regional security,” he said, adding that attacks on civilians and civilian facilities would be met with resolve. Meanwhile, Yemeni government forces had taken control of Bab Al-Mandab and Mayun Island after clearing the area, AlArabiya reported on Friday, citing military sources. The developments come amid an escalation in Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, including strikes on civilian infrastructure and aviation facilities. Saudi Arabia vows to defend its territory Addressing an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday, Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Abdulaziz Alwasil, said the Kingdom would not allow Yemen to become a staging ground for attacks against Saudi territory or threats to Red Sea navigation. “The Kingdom affirms that it will not allow Yemen to be turned into a staging ground for threats to its security or to the freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandab Strait,” he told the council. Alwasil reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s right to defend its sovereignty and citizens, while emphasizing Riyadh’s continued commitment to a political settlement in Yemen. He accused the Houthis of rejecting diplomatic initiatives in favor of military escalation and called on the Security Council to enforce relevant resolutions, including the arms embargo on the group. His remarks followed two attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Thursday that killed three Saudi nationals, including Saudia Airlines pilot Capt. Hamoud bin Ali Alkalthami, and injured several others. Saudi aviation authorities said the first attack targeted airport facilities, while the second struck an aircraft belonging to the national carrier. The incidents caused damage and disrupted flights, while the injuries included residents of various nationalities. The airport attacks were part of a wider series of reported Houthi strikes in recent weeks targeting Riyadh, Abha, Khamis Mushayt, Jazan and Najran. Saudi officials have also cited an attempted attack on Makkah on Sept. 15 and a Sept. 29 strike on the Taiba electricity distribution station in Madinah. Alwasil warned that Houthi operations threatened not only Saudi security but also commercial shipping, energy supplies and international trade. He said external military and technical support had strengthened the militia’s capabilities, contributing to instability in Yemen and the wider region. Riyadh backs Yemen’s government Saudi Arabia has repeatedly affirmed its support for Yemen’s internationally recognized government and efforts to restore state authority, while maintaining that a lasting settlement must preserve the country’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. The Kingdom has also provided substantial economic, development and humanitarian assistance to Yemen. Alwasil said Saudi economic and development support exceeded $12.6 billion between 2012 and 2026, in addition to more than $4.5 billion in humanitarian assistance. The Kingdom also provided budget support exceeding SR224 million ($59.7 million) on Oct. 4. The latest military operations reflect the growing urgency of efforts to contain the Houthi threat as renewed fighting threatens regional security and international maritime traffic. Saudi Arabia says it remains committed to a political solution, but has warned that continued attacks on its territory and threats to freedom of navigation cannot be allowed to continue unchecked.