Houthi militia claims attacks in Saudi Arabia

War in the Middle East

Houthi militia claims attacks in Saudi Arabia

Since the new escalation in the Yemen war, Saudi Arabia has repeatedly come under fire from its southern neighbor. Eyewitnesses report a fire at the international airport in Riyadh.

The from Iran supported Houthi militia in Yemen has attacks again Saudi Arabia claimed for itself, including in the Saudi capital Riyadh. A Houthi spokesman said the group had fired dozens of ballistic missiles and drones against “sensitive targets” in Riyadh and at facilities belonging to the Saudi oil company Aramco in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu. The attacks caused several major fires. The information could not be independently verified.

According to the statement, the latest attacks were in response to more than 700 Saudi airstrikes in Yemen. Saudi Arabia supports the internationally recognized government of Yemen in its protracted conflict with the Houthi militia. Since the new escalation in the Yemen war, the country has repeatedly come under fire from its southern neighbor.

Eyewitnesses had previously reported a fire in a fuel tank at the international Airport from Riyadh reported the Air traffic had temporarily interrupted. There was initially no official statement on the cause of the fire. The Saudi government has not yet commented on the incidents.

A week ago, the Houthi militia took the west coast of Yemen in a lightning offensive and thereby gained access to the important Bab al-Mandab strait at the entrance to the Red Sea. This means it has virtually unrestricted access to the waterway – which is a significant setback for Saudi Arabia and international shipping.

The importance of the strait is due to the crisis at the Strait of Hormuz increased even further: Saudi Arabia, for example, is trying to redirect part of its oil exports to Asia via the Red Sea.

Meanwhile, the forces of Yemen’s Riyadh-backed government announced on Platform X that they had foiled an infiltration attempt by the Houthi militia in the south of Yemen’s oil-rich Marib province. Twelve Houthi fighters were killed and others injured. The remaining Houthi fighters fled the area.

The latest fighting is part of an escalation that has been ongoing for several months. A ceasefire in place since 2022 was canceled by the Houthis after Saudi Arabia prevented a flight from Tehran to Sanaa. Amid the expanding war, which also includes Iran, fighting has flared up again, plunging the already impoverished country even deeper into civil war.