The Saudi-led coalition on Saturday dismissed as “misleading” the Houthi group’s claims of launching ballistic missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh. Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki stated that the Iran-allied Yemeni armed group is attempting to divert attention from significant losses it has sustained.

The Houthi group had asserted that their assault, which they claimed caused large fires at an Aramco oil facility near Riyadh, occurred as fighting intensifies within Yemen. However, al-Maliki, in remarks carried by Saudi media, suggested these claims were an effort to obscure the reality of the Houthis' situation.

Colonel Majed Abdullah al-Nazili, a spokesman for Yemen’s internationally recognized government forces, stated that Yemeni forces conducted 257 precision targeting operations against Houthi sites, movements, and military capabilities on Saturday. Initial estimates from these operations suggest that at least 700 Houthi rebels were killed.

Al-Maliki further elaborated that the Houthi group's "ties to external agendas" have resulted in "chaos and devastation to Yemen." He suggested that the pressures the Houthis are experiencing, particularly in Taiz, are driving them to seek "illusory victories."

Early Sunday, the Saudi-led coalition announced that its forces had executed 97 "precise targeting operations" against Houthi reinforcements along the Tor al-Baha front and the Taiz axis. These operations involved the use of warplanes, drones, artillery, missiles, and snipers.

The conflict in Yemen has seen an escalation since a fragile truce collapsed in July, leading to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. In mid-September, Houthi forces seized the port city of Mocha and strategic islands in the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a critical route for global oil shipments, before anti-Houthi forces managed to stabilize front lines.

Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war since the Houthis took control of the capital, Sanaa, in 2014, forcing the internationally recognized government to relocate its base to Aden.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia has previously stated that the kingdom "will not hesitate to respond firmly to any threat," emphasizing that Saudi Arabia will not compromise on its security amidst the ongoing conflict.