Yemen’s Houthi movement struck the Saudi capital Riyadh for the first time since renewed fighting with Saudi Arabia broke out in July, setting an Aramco fuel depot ablaze near King Khalid International Airport before dawn on Saturday.
The Saudi-led military coalition said its air defences intercepted a ballistic missile fired at the capital, and that separate attacks targeting Bisha, Taif and Farasan were also thwarted. Residents reported hearing explosions and saw smoke rising near the airport, which experienced significant flight disruptions. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group had carried out two simultaneous operations, one striking “sensitive sites” in Riyadh and another hitting Saudi Aramco facilities in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu, using what he described as a large number of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones. He said the strikes were a response to more than 120 Saudi air operations against Yemen over the preceding three days.
It was the first air raid alert sounded in Riyadh since the latest round of fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthis began in July. The escalation follows a Saudi accusation earlier in the week that the Houthis had attempted to strike Mecca with a drone, a claim the group denied, and comes as the Houthis have made rapid territorial gains inside Yemen, including seizing the port of Mokha.
A U.S. official said Washington was providing Saudi Arabia with intelligence and targeting support but did not intend to join offensive strikes against the Houthis.
Saudi Aramco did not immediately comment on whether the Yanbu attack had affected fuel supplies.
