The Houthis in Yemen announced on Saturday that they had carried out missile and drone attacks on sensitive sites in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, and an Aramco facility in Yanbu, a city on the Red Sea coast. The announcement came after reports of explosions and a fire near King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group had carried out two military operations using ballistic and winged missiles and drones.
According to Reuters, the Houthi announcement came hours after Saudi authorities issued a warning to residents of Riyadh about a " hostile aerial threat", followed by reports of explosions in the capital. Flames and a thick column of black smoke were seen in the vicinity of the airport. Witnesses reported seeing fire and smoke near fuel storage facilities, which firefighters later brought under control.
The Saudi authorities did not immediately confirm the cause of the fire or provide a direct confirmation that the tank was hit as a result of the Houthi attacks. The incident has raised concerns about the security of energy infrastructure and shipping routes in the region. The Houthis have escalated their attacks on Saudi targets in recent weeks, coinciding with their advances on parts of Yemen's western coast.
The attacks have also disrupted air traffic at King Khalid International Airport, with flights experiencing delays and cancellations. The airport is one of the most important air transport hubs in the kingdom. The incident has added to concerns about the security of energy infrastructure and shipping routes in the region.
In addition to the attack on Riyadh, the Houthis also claimed to have targeted an Aramco facility in Yanbu, a major industrial and energy center on the Red Sea coast. The Houthis did not provide immediate details on the nature of the facility or the extent of the damage.
The escalation of the conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis has raised concerns about the impact on global energy supplies and shipping routes. The incident has also highlighted the strategic importance of the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical waterway connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
The conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis has its roots in the Yemeni civil war that began in 2015, when a Saudi-led coalition intervened to support the internationally recognized Yemeni government against the Houthis. The conflict has experienced periods of escalation and de-escalation, but recent developments have raised concerns about the security of energy infrastructure and shipping routes in the region.
Key points
- The Houthis claim to have carried out missile and drone attacks on sensitive sites in Riyadh and an Aramco facility in Yanbu.
- The attacks have raised concerns about the security of energy infrastructure and shipping routes in the region.
- The conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis has its roots in the Yemeni civil war that began in 2015.
