A fresh war of words has erupted between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi movement after Riyadh claimed it intercepted a drone allegedly linked to the Iran-aligned group near the holy city of Mecca. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree has rejected the allegation, calling Saudi Arabia's statement a “massive and egregious fabrication”. The group denies targeting Mecca and says its operations are directed at Saudi military bases and oil facilities. The controversy comes amid escalating tensions between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis. Saree has also claimed that Saudi forces carried out 101 airstrikes and missile attacks across Sana'a and eight other Yemeni governorates within 24 hours. The Houthis put the cumulative number of attacks at 3,480.

Yemen's Aden International Airport is reportedly hit by ballistic missiles in a fresh escalation of the conflict with the Houthis. Yemen's Transport Ministry says the airport was attacked twice, bringing the reported number of attacks in recent days to six. The strikes reportedly caused damage and injured civilians. Colonel Majed al-Nuzaily has condemned the attacks, accusing the Houthis of repeatedly targeting civilian infrastructure. He warns that the strikes threaten civilian lives, air navigation and vital facilities.