IRIA News

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Yemen’s Houthi group has claimed it carried out missile and drone attacks on targets in Saudi Arabia, including what it described as “sensitive targets” in the capital Riyadh and facilities belonging to the oil company Saudi Aramco in the Red Sea city of Yanbu.

The claims came as Saudi Arabia issued a series of emergency alerts over a possible aerial threat, including the first such warnings in Riyadh since the latest escalation between Saudi forces and the Houthis. Saudi authorities have not confirmed that the Houthi attacks struck the claimed targets.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said that the group carried out two separate operations using ballistic and cruise missiles and drones.

According to Saree, the first operation targeted “sensitive targets” in Riyadh. The second targeted Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu, on Saudi Arabia’s western Red Sea coast.

The Houthi spokesman also accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out attacks against areas under Houthi control in Yemen and said the latest operations were carried out in response.

The claims have not been independently verified. Reports from Riyadh said explosions were heard in parts of the capital after Saudi Civil Defense issued emergency alerts. Smoke was also reported near the area of King Khalid International Airport.

Saudi authorities did not immediately provide details about the cause of the alerts or confirm whether missiles or drones had reached their intended targets.

Saudi Arabia Issues Air Threat Alerts

Saudi Civil Defense issued alerts in Riyadh and several other parts of the kingdom overnight Friday and early Saturday. Two alerts were issued in Riyadh and two others in Al-Kharj province. Authorities later announced that the danger had passed.

The alerts came after Saudi authorities had issued similar warnings in several cities and regions in recent days. There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage linked to the latest alerts.

The situation was more serious in Taif earlier in the week. Saudi authorities said one person was killed and two others were injured after debris from a Houthi drone fell in the western city after the drone was intercepted and destroyed. Several buildings and vehicles were also damaged.

Saudi Aramco Facilities Targeted

The Houthis also claimed that they attacked Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu. Yanbu is an important industrial and oil-export center on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast and is home to major energy infrastructure.

Reports said fires and smoke were seen in the area, but there was no immediate official confirmation from Saudi authorities or Saudi Aramco that its facilities had been hit.

The Houthis have increasingly focused their attacks on Saudi territory and energy-related sites during the latest escalation.

The group has also announced what it calls a “maritime blockade” against Saudi Arabia and has claimed attacks on Saudi-linked vessels and sites.

Fighting Intensifies in Yemen

The latest attacks come as fighting between the Houthis and forces supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government has intensified.

The Saudi-backed Yemeni government said Friday that its forces had killed 30 Houthi fighters and wounded more than 60 in clashes in the Al Waziiyah district of Taiz province. The claims could not be independently verified.

The Houthis have also accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out dozens of attacks against areas under their control. The group said Friday that Saudi attacks had reached 300 over the previous week.

Saudi Arabia has not publicly confirmed the figures provided by the Houthis. The United Nations Security Council has expressed concern over the escalation, including Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and threats to shipping in the Red Sea.

The council has warned that the fighting could widen the conflict, affect maritime security and disrupt international trade.

Conflict Spreads Beyond Yemen

The renewed fighting is also affecting the wider Red Sea region, where the Houthis have expanded their military activity. The group has sought to control areas near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a major maritime passage linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.

The Houthis say their actions are linked to Saudi military operations and restrictions affecting areas under their control. Saudi Arabia has led a coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government since March 2015, after the Houthis seized control of Sanaa and expanded their control over large parts of the country.

The conflict has continued through periods of intense fighting and relative calm. The latest escalation has brought renewed attacks inside Saudi Arabia, including against areas near major cities and energy infrastructure.

The Houthi claims of attacks on Riyadh and Yanbu mark another development in the widening confrontation, but the extent of any damage from the latest strikes remains unclear.