Yemen’s Houthi rebels have vowed to continue attacks on Saudi airports and oil facilities after claiming responsibility for strikes on Saudi Aramco sites and the capital, Riyadh.
The group’s military spokesman, Yahya Saree, said its forces had carried out what he called a “high quality” operation against Aramco in Dhahran, as well as attacks on Riyadh airport and a refinery in the capital. He said the operation used ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones, and warned that further strikes would follow, reported by the Agency France Press.
Saudi officials said a building belonging to Aramco in Dhahran was hit, causing a limited fire but no casualties. Dhahran is home to the state oil company’s headquarters, a large complex of offices and residential compounds.
Powerful explosions also shook Riyadh on Wednesday. The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted a missile fired towards the capital, while residents received alerts warning of an aerial threat and telling them to seek shelter.
The attacks appear to be moving closer to the city centre. Witnesses described seeing air-defence missiles cross the night sky, followed by explosions. One resident said he saw a projectile leave a yellow trail above a shopping mall before hearing a blast.
“People were calm; no one was speaking. We were scared and all looking up at the sky,” the witness told AFP.
Saudi Arabia has responded with strikes on oil sites in western Yemen, including areas near the Houthi-held capital, Sanaa. The coalition said the targets were facilities used to support Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, Yemen, the Red Sea and key shipping routes.
The escalation follows Saturday’s strike on Riyadh’s international airport, which killed 13 people and was the deadliest attack on Saudi Arabia since 2015. The Saudi cabinet, led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, vowed to protect the kingdom’s security and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab strait.
The renewed conflict has unsettled daily life. Schools have moved online, some businesses have told staff to work from home, and traffic in usually congested Riyadh has become noticeably lighter. Several countries, including France, have advised citizens to avoid major Saudi airports.
Saudi Arabia now faces mounting economic pressure. The International Monetary Fund expects its economy to shrink by 3.3 per cent this year, as Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the return of Yemen’s war weigh on the region.
