11 minutes ago
Houthis claimed four missile and drone operations against Saudi airports, energy sites and military targets. The exchange deepens the confrontation as Saudi-led forces continue airstrikes in Houthi-controlled Yemen.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group carried out four operations targeting sites in Riyadh. (Photo: AFP)
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed on Tuesday that they launched a new series of missile and drone attacks on targets deep inside Saudi Arabia, including King Khalid Airport and an Aramco facility, in retaliation for Saudi strikes on Yemen.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group carried out four operations targeting sites in Riyadh and elsewhere in the kingdom. This came after Saudi Arabia was accused by the Houthis of carrying out deadly strikes in Taiz and other parts of Yemen.
The latest exchange marks another escalation in the wider conflict, with the Houthis increasingly targeting Saudi airports and energy infrastructure while Saudi-led forces continue air operations against Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
HOUTHIS CLAIM FOUR ATTACKS INSIDE SAUDI ARABIA
According to a statement issued by the Yemeni Armed Forces, the first operation targeted King Khalid Airport and several pumping stations along Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline in Riyadh. The Houthis claimed the strikes hit their intended targets and caused fires and damage at the sites. The group also said it carried out a separate attack on an Aramco facility in Abqaiq, one of Saudi Arabia's key oil-producing areas.
The third operation, according to the Houthi statement, targeted Saudi military personnel in Al-Mudarribah and Ras Al-Arah districts. The group claimed the attack caused a large number of casualties. A fourth operation was directed at a financial centre in Riyadh, which the Houthis said was carried out in response to Saudi strikes against civilians.
The Houthis linked the attacks to what they described as continuing Saudi "aggression" against Yemen. In its statement, the group specifically referred to an alleged Saudi airstrike on Al-Hadara Market in Taiz, claiming that vendors and shoppers were killed or injured. It also accused Saudi forces of destroying an entire village in Bani Hashish District.
The Houthis alleged that US-made GBU-12 and GBU-38 bombs were used in the attacks. The Houthi statement framed the latest attacks as retaliation and warned that its campaign would continue until Saudi Arabia ended what it called its aggression and blockade against Yemen.
"The Yemeni Armed Forces will continue their operations deep inside Saudi Arabia, enforcing the principle of blockade for blockade and escalation for escalation, and targeting the Saudi enemy's troop concentrations and officers until the aggression ends and the blockade against our beloved country is lifted."
SAUDI DEFENCES INTERCEPT MISSILES
The Houthi claims came against a backdrop of increased military activity over Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia's coalition had said it had intercepted two missiles launched towards Riyadh, along with another ballistic missile fired towards the kingdom's southern region. It also reported the interception of a drone over the oil-rich Eastern Province.
Saudi air defences were reported to have destroyed a ballistic missile and a cruise missile headed towards the capital. Authorities had earlier issued an alert for Riyadh before declaring that the immediate threat had passed.
A separate ballistic missile launched towards southern Saudi Arabia was also intercepted, according to the coalition. Warning alerts had been issued for the southwestern cities of Abha and Khamis Mushait before the threat was later declared over. The coalition subsequently said another drone had been intercepted over the Eastern Province.
ARAMCO AND OIL INFRASTRUCTURE IN FOCUS
Energy infrastructure has been a major target in the confrontation because Saudi Arabia's oil-producing regions are vital to the kingdom's economy. The Eastern Province contains most of Saudi Arabia's oil and gas reserves and is home to Saudi Aramco's headquarters. The area has faced repeated attacks in recent weeks, including previous strikes that caused extensive damage to Aramco facilities.
The Houthis have also repeatedly threatened Saudi energy infrastructure as part of their campaign against the Saudi-led coalition.
In its latest statement, the group went further by warning international investors and companies against maintaining operations in Saudi Arabia.
"The Armed Forces warn all investors and companies against keeping their investments in Saudi Arabia. We advise them to move them to peaceful and safe countries, because Saudi Arabia is not a safe country for investment until it ends its aggression and blockade against our country."
The group also rejected a Saudi accusation that its forces had targeted the East-West pipeline in Medina. Calling the allegation a "blatant and enormous lie", the Houthis insisted that the pipeline target was in Riyadh rather than Medina.
SAUDI STRIKES REPORTED IN SANAA
The latest Houthi attacks also followed reports of Saudi airstrikes on areas controlled by the rebels in Yemen. The Houthi-run Saba news agency reported strikes on Sanaa, including an attack on the Al-Mufazir gas station in the Jadar district north of the capital. It also reported a strike on a building belonging to Yemen's state oil company in southern Sanaa.
Saba later reported that civil defence teams were working to extinguish a fire involving gas trailers at the station.
The latest escalation follows a broader deterioration in fighting between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition. The group has stepped up attacks on Saudi airports, military positions and energy facilities, while Saudi forces have continued targeting Houthi positions in Yemen.
- Ends
