The current round of fighting began in mid-July after strikes on Houthi-controlled Sanaa International Airport. The strikes came as an Iranian passenger plane carrying a senior Houthi delegation was returning from Iran.
On July 20, the group announced a ban on Saudi shipping through the Bab el-Mandab Strait. They later announced that the danger had passed. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said the group had launched two major operations. They then launched missile and drone attacks in retaliation.
The Houthis said they targeted “sensitive targets” in Riyadh and a Saudi Aramco facility in Yanbu. The group said it used ballistic and cruise missiles and drones in the attacks. Saudi air defences later said they had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile targeting Riyadh. The first targeted what he called “sensitive targets” in Riyadh. “The two operations were successful,” Sarea said. The Saudi-led coalition said its air defences intercepted the missile targeting Riyadh. It also said attacks on Baish, Taif, Farasan and Yanbu had been thwarted. Coalition spokesperson Turki Al-Maliki said the attacks targeted “civilians and civilian objects”. He also warned that Saudi Arabia would take “appropriate measures” to deter further attacks. Sarea said the attacks were in response to increased Saudi airstrikes on Houthi-held areas in Yemen. He vowed to continue what he called an “escalation for escalation” strategy until Saudi airstrikes stop and restrictions on Yemen are lifted.
Two explosions were heard in the capital, while some flights were delayed. Videos showed a plume of smoke rising near King Khalid International Airport after the second explosion. The alert was reportedly the first such warning issued for the Saudi capital since tensions with the Houthis escalated. The Houthis reportedly targeted the fuel storage infrastructure at the airport triggering large plumes of smoke to rise up. There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage in Riyadh. The second targeted a facility belonging to Saudi oil giant Aramco in Yanbu, a major industrial and energy hub on the Red Sea coast. He claimed that large fires broke out at the targeted sites. The claims could not be independently verified. The Houthis denied deliberately targeting civilians. The latest attack marks a major escalation in the confrontation between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia. The current round of fighting began in mid-July after strikes on Houthi-controlled Sanaa International Airport. The strikes came as an Iranian passenger plane carrying a senior Houthi delegation was returning from Iran. The Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of being behind the strikes. It has since claimed several attacks on Saudi tankers and oil facilities. Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.
Saudi authorities had earlier issued an aerial threat alert for Riyadh. Smoke rose near King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh after Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched a large-scale attack on Saudi Arabia on Saturday.