WorldPosted at: Sep 20 2026 6:32PM


Houthis claim large -scale attacks on Riyadh, Yanbu as Saudi tensions escalate

Sanaa, Sep 20 (UNI) Yemen's Houthi group said it has unleashed large-scale attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, including the capital Riyadh and the Red Sea port city of Yanbu, in a major escalation between the Iran-aligned group and the Saudi-led coalition.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a statement broadcast by Houthi-run Al Masirah TV that the operations involved "a large number of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones." He said one operation targeted "sensitive targets" in Riyadh and another targeted a facility belonging to Saudi oil giant Aramco in Yanbu.
"The two operations were successful," Saree said, claiming large fires broke out at the targeted sites.
The Houthi claims came after explosions were heard in Riyadh twice on Saturday. Smoke was seen rising near King Khalid International Airport after the second incident, while some flights were delayed.
Saudi authorities had earlier issued an aerial threat alert for Riyadh before saying the danger had passed. It was reportedly the first such alert for the Saudi capital since fighting between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia intensified in July.
The Saudi-led coalition later said its air defences intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile targeting Riyadh and thwarted attempted attacks on Bisha, Taif, Farasan and Yanbu.
Coalition spokesperson Major-General Turki al-Maliki said the Houthis had targeted "civilians and civilian objects" and that the coalition would take "appropriate measures" to deter further attacks.
Saree denied that the Houthis deliberately targeted civilians, saying the attacks were in response to intensified Saudi airstrikes on Houthi-held areas in Yemen.
He said the Houthis would continue retaliatory operations under an "escalation for escalation" strategy until Saudi airstrikes stopped and restrictions on Yemen were lifted.
The latest attacks mark a further escalation in the conflict between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, which has backed Yemen's internationally recognised government.
The current round of fighting began in mid-July after Yemeni government forces struck Houthi-controlled Sanaa International Airport to prevent an Iranian passenger plane carrying a senior Houthi delegation from landing after its return from Iran.
The Houthis accused Saudi Arabia, a key ally of Yemen's internationally recognised government, of carrying out the strikes and responded with ballistic missile and drone attacks. On July 20, the group announced a ban on Saudi shipping through the Bab al-Mandab Strait and has since claimed a series of attacks on Saudi tankers and oil facilities.
The broader Yemen conflict erupted in late 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa and large parts of northern Yemen. Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognised government.UNI AAB
Tags: #Houthis claim large -scale attacks on Riyadh# Yanbu as Saudi tensions escalate
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