Yemen’s Houthis claim attacks on Saudi airports, Aramco facility and oil pipeline

Yemen’s Houthi group on Saturday claimed responsibility for attacks targeting airports, oil infrastructure and a military airbase across Saudi Arabia, escalating tensions as the kingdom faces a renewed wave of strikes.

The group’s military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said the targets included King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Najran airport and an airbase in Khamis Mushait. He also claimed attacks on the East-West oil pipeline, crude oil pumping stations, a Saudi Aramco facility in Yanbu and the Rabigh oil refinery.

Saudi authorities had not immediately confirmed the latest claims.

The announcement came hours after the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched towards the Saudi cities of Taif and Yanbu.

Saudi Arabia issues security alerts

Saudi Civil Defense briefly warned residents in Taif, Yanbu, Mecca and Jeddah of potential danger on Saturday. Around 10 minutes later, it announced that the threat had passed.

The latest Houthi claims follow a series of attacks on Saudi military, energy and civilian infrastructure in recent weeks.

On Thursday, the group said it had targeted Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry in Riyadh, Aramco facilities in Yanbu and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. Saudi authorities reported two deaths in Dammam but did not confirm the reported attacks in Riyadh and Yanbu.

The Saudi-led coalition also said it had intercepted drones over Riyadh and Medina on Thursday. The Houthis had denied targeting Medina a day earlier, following reports of drone interceptions over the holy city and Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.

Deadly airport strikes earlier this month

Saudi Arabia has faced repeated attacks on its airports this month. An October 10 strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed at least 12 people and injured 309, according to Saudi authorities. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, which was the third reported strike on the airport that week.

The victims included four Saudi nationals and citizens of Bangladesh, the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and Egypt, according to Saudi civil aviation authorities.

Two earlier airport attacks that week killed four people and severely damaged a Saudi commercial aircraft parked on the tarmac. Saudi Arabia’s threat-warning system did not issue an alert before the October 10 strike.

Earlier this month, the Houthis also warned airlines against using Saudi airspace, exempting the airspace over Mecca and Medina.

Renewed fighting threatens fragile calm in Yemen

The latest escalation has disrupted the relative calm that followed a United Nations-brokered truce in 2022, which largely halted cross-border attacks.

Saudi Arabia backs Yemen’s internationally recognised government, while the Houthis control the capital, Sanaa. The group has been fighting forces aligned with the Yemeni government, which is supported by the Saudi-led coalition.

The renewed hostilities have also opened another front in the wider US-Israeli war on Iran, adding to regional security concerns as attacks increasingly target critical infrastructure and civilian aviation facilities.