Houthis target Saudi Aramco facility after coalition strike on Sanaa
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Hours after a Saudi-led coalition’s strike on the Houthi-controlled Yemeni capital, Sanaa, the Yemeni militia launched an attack targeting an administrative building belonging to Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil giant Aramco in the eastern city of Dhahran, although no fatalities or injuries were reported as an earlier evacuation warning helped minimise the damage.
An official at the Saudi Ministry of Energy told the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) that authorities had responded to a fire caused by Tuesday’s attack, while the incident marked a further escalation in hostilities between Riyadh and the Iran-aligned Houthis, Al Jazeera reported.
Earlier on Tuesday, Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree had warned employees and civilians near Saudi oil facilities to evacuate, declaring the installations “a legitimate target”. The warning followed an evacuation order issued by the Saudi-led coalition for civilians near the Yemeni Oil Company’s al-Sabah central station in Sanaa.
Saree threatened a “firm and painful” retaliation in Riyadh if the coalition proceeded with strikes on the Yemeni capital, while Houthi-affiliated media reported that Saudi-backed forces had attacked the oil facility.
The company maintained that its storage facilities were empty and that the strike would not affect fuel reserves or supplies, although motorists reportedly formed queues at petrol stations amid fears of shortages.
Saudi Arabia also intercepted missiles launched towards Riyadh, with falling debris from two intercepted projectiles injuring four people and damaging 15 homes, according to the Civil Defence spokesperson cited by SPA. The coalition further reported intercepting three drones north of the capital.
The latest attacks came amid a wider campaign against Saudi infrastructure, following deadly weekend strikes on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. At least 13 people were reportedly killed and more than 300 injured in Saturday’s attack, while another projectile struck the airport on Sunday, killing one person and injuring 11.
Several international airlines, including Air India, Air France-KLM, Lufthansa, Delta and Qatar Airways, have suspended flights to Saudi Arabia and neighbouring countries amid mounting security concerns.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has intensified its military campaign against the Houthis while supporting a Yemeni government counteroffensive known as “Dawn of Yemen”. Yemeni government forces reported nine air strikes against Houthi positions in Taiz governorate on Tuesday, as fighting continued south of the city.
The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedom accused the Houthis of killing at least five civilians, including a five-year-old girl, and injuring 17 others in Taiz over the preceding 24 hours.
The International Committee of the Red Cross warned that escalating hostilities were exacting a mounting toll on civilians, while the United Nations reported that more than 200,000 people had been displaced in Yemen since September.