OMM Redaksiyası
The Iran-aligned Houthis said on Saturday they had targeted an Aramco facility in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, with ballistic missiles and drones. The claim came as fighting intensified in Yemen between the Houthis and forces backed by Saudi Arabia.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the attack was carried out in response to strikes on Sanaa and other parts of Yemen. He described the strikes as “accurate and direct” and said a fire had broken out at the site.
A Reuters witness reported smoke and flames rising near the Aramco facility in Riyadh on Saturday. Saudi authorities have not confirmed an attack on the site, while Aramco has not commented on the cause of the fire.
Military operations expand in Yemen
The Houthi claim came as forces of Yemen’s internationally recognized government stepped up their military campaign against the group.
Yemen’s armed forces said they carried out strikes on the capital, Sanaa, and the city of Saada, a key Houthi stronghold, on Sunday morning, Oct. 4. A military spokesman said “vital targets” had been hit but gave no further details.
Houthi-controlled Al Masirah TV had earlier reported that Saudi Arabia had attacked Sanaa. Riyadh did not immediately confirm the report.
Yemen’s army said 257 precision strikes had been conducted against Houthi positions, movements and military capabilities. The operations involved warplanes, drones, artillery, missiles and multiple-launch rocket systems.
Government forces claimed that at least 700 Houthis had been killed and 170 combat vehicles and pieces of heavy equipment destroyed. These figures have not been independently verified.
The strikes were carried out in Sanaa, Midi and Baqim, as well as along front lines in the provinces of Al Jawf, Marib, Al Bayda and Lahij. The most intensive operations were concentrated around Taiz.
Government forces also claimed to have conducted about 500 military operations on Friday, killing or wounding 1,540 Houthis. These figures, too, have not been independently verified.
The Yemeni army also closed a key route linking Al-Huban, an area under Houthi control, with the government-held city of Taiz.
Regional impact of rising tensions
Fighting in Yemen has intensified since a fragile 2022 ceasefire collapsed in July.
In mid-September, the Houthis seized the port city of Mokha and strategic islands in the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Forces opposing the Houthis later stabilized the front line.
The Houthis have previously targeted Saudi territory and energy infrastructure. Last week, they said they had attacked Aramco facilities in Yanbu with missiles and drones. Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted six ballistic missiles launched toward Taif and Yanbu and that Aramco facilities had not been damaged.
Earlier this week, the Saudi-led coalition said the Houthis had attacked a power plant in Medina.
Since fighting resumed, hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes, worsening Yemen’s long-running humanitarian crisis.
