A senior Pakistani official told the New York Times that Pakistani fighter jets are actively participating in the military operation against the Houthis in Yemen. The report follows confirmation given Wednesday to CNN by official Pakistani sources that the country’s military forces have already arrived in Saudi Arabia. The development raises questions about the activation of a “strike agreement” and the possibility of regional escalation against the Iran-backed militia.
Meanwhile, residents in the Saudi capital Riyadh reported a series of powerful explosions heard across the city today. The incident came a day after Saudi authorities confirmed that Houthi attacks on two major airports in the kingdom killed three people and wounded dozens more. According to a statement from Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority, the strikes hit King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Abha International Airport, killing two women and a Sudanese citizen and wounding 36 people.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for the terror attacks, saying the militia launched missiles and unmanned aircraft at the two targets. In response, the Saudi-led military coalition launched waves of strikes and said it hit dozens of Houthi military sites in Yemen, including missile depots and command headquarters. Yemen expert at Chatham House Farea al-Muslimi said the Saudis are expected to respond even more aggressively, in what appears to be a return to all-out war between the sides after the fragile ceasefire signed in 2022.