Houthis claim missile and drone attacks on Riyadh and Yanbu in Saudi Arabia
Yemen’s Houthi group has claimed responsibility for missile and drone attacks targeting Riyadh and Yanbu in Saudi Arabia, as fighting between Houthi and government forces continues across parts of Yemen.
The group said on Saturday that it launched "a large number of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones" in what it described as "two military operations."
In a recorded message, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed that "the first operation struck sensitive targets in Riyadh” while the second “struck the Aramco company in Yanbu.”
“Both operations, with the help of God Almighty, achieved success, resulting in massive fires breaking out at the targeted sites," he alleged.
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defence described the attack as a failure. Spokesperson Major General Turki al-Maliki said a ballistic missile targeted Riyadh in a dawn strike but was "successfully intercepted and destroyed" by Saudi air defences.
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Oil company Aramco had not commented on reports of an explosion at its fuel depot near Riyadh’s international airport. The Saudi Ministry of Defence said there were "no reported casualties or damage to personnel or critical infrastructure."
The Saudi Civil Defence had earlier announced on Saturday "the activation of early warning in Riyadh and Al-Kharj" before later declaring that the threat had ended.
The attacks come amid fighting across several Yemeni governorates between government and Houthi forces.
The conflict widened in recent days following a Houthi assault in western Taiz and southern Hodeidah towards Mokha and Bab al-Mandab in the country's southwest. Government forces later expanded their operations to other fronts, including Al-Jawf and Al-Bayda.
Tensions intensified on July 13 after the Houthis blamed Saudi Arabia for a strike on the runway at Sanaa International Airport.
However, the Ministry of Defence of Yemen's internationally recognised government claimed its forces had struck the airport runway to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing.
The strike caused a flight carrying a Houthi delegation returning from the funeral ceremony for former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to divert to Hodeidah.
The Houthis have controlled the capital, Sanaa, and large parts of northern Yemen since 2014, while the Yemeni government and allied forces control areas in the south and parts of the north. The conflict has killed thousands of people and caused a major humanitarian crisis.
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This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
