Houthis strike Saudi Arabia's oil facility triggering major fire

Riyadh: Yemen's Houthis have claimed responsibility for a missile and drone operation targeting Saudi oil giant Aramco in Riyadh, saying the attack was carried out in retaliation for intensified strikes on the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, according to Anadolu Agency.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the operation hit its intended targets and caused fires at the locations attacked. He alleged that Sanaa and other parts of Yemen had come under 60 airstrikes during the previous 24 hours, taking the overall number of reported strikes to 1,420. Saree blamed Saudi Arabia for the attacks and warned that further escalation would trigger a response from the group.

Saudi Arabia, however, rejected the Houthis' account. Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen's government, described the claims about an attack on Riyadh as misleading. He accused the Houthis of attempting to shift attention away from mounting battlefield losses and increasing public dissatisfaction with their actions and links to external forces.

The conflict has continued since 2014, when Houthi fighters seized control of Sanaa and expanded their hold over several Yemeni regions. Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognised government since March 2015.

Tensions have increasingly extended to Saudi energy infrastructure. In July, the Houthis announced a naval blockade targeting Saudi Arabia, presenting it as retaliation for what they described as a Saudi naval and air blockade of Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen.

The group has subsequently carried out attacks against energy-related facilities in Saudi Arabia, adding a wider regional dimension to the prolonged Yemen conflict.