Houthis Claim Missile, Drone Attacks on Aramco
News Desk
Yemen’s Houthi movement has claimed responsibility for a fresh wave of missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia, saying it targeted facilities belonging to state-owned oil company Aramco and a military airbase in the southern city of Khamis Mushait.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group launched dozens of ballistic missiles and drones toward Aramco facilities in Yanbu, a major Saudi port on the Red Sea. He also claimed that several ballistic missiles were fired at the Khamis Mushait airbase.
According to Reuters, the Houthis said in a statement issued Wednesday that their missiles and drones hit their intended targets, triggering large fires and causing extensive damage. Saree described the attacks as retaliation for ongoing Saudi-backed military operations in Yemen.
Saudi authorities have yet to provide further details or publicly confirm the Houthi claims.
The latest claims came after the Houthis also said they had shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over Marib, a strategically important province in northern Yemen. Saree claimed the aircraft was destroyed during military operations, but the group did not provide evidence to substantiate the allegation. Saudi authorities have not confirmed the reported loss of the aircraft.
Meanwhile, the Saudi-led military coalition said on Wednesday that it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone heading toward Makkah before it could reach its target. Saudi military officials described the drone as a threat to civilians and said the incident marked the second alleged Houthi attempt to target Makkah since 2017.
Houthi political bureau member Hizam al-Asad rejected the allegation, calling claims that the group had targeted Makkah a “heinous lie.” He maintained that the Houthis do not target Islamic holy sites.
The conflicting claims come amid renewed fighting between Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces and the Houthis along Yemen’s western coast and in Marib province.
The Houthis have repeatedly launched missiles and drones toward Saudi territory, while Saudi-led coalition forces have responded with airstrikes targeting Houthi military infrastructure and drone-launching sites.
The Yemen conflict began in 2014 after the Houthis seized control of Sanaa. The war has since become one of the region’s longest-running conflicts, with renewed fighting raising concerns over security in the Red Sea and broader regional stability.
