Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen say they carried out a coordinated campaign of drone and ballistic missile attacks against the Saudi capital, Riyadh, as well as energy infrastructure on the country’s Red Sea coast. Saudi authorities stated they intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired toward Riyadh, though they did not confirm further impacts or casualties. Following the event, thick black smoke was observed rising from fuel tanks near the city’s international airport, leading to temporary flight disruptions on Saturday.
Scope of the regional escalation
- Air raid sirens sounded in Riyadh for the first time since the Houthis intensified their campaign against Saudi Arabia in July.
- The Saudi-led coalition reported that air defences successfully stopped “hostile attempts to target civilians” in the cities of Bish, Taif, Farasan, and Yanbu.
- Houthi military spokesman Yahya al-Sarea stated that a “large number of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones” were deployed to strike “sensitive sites” in Riyadh and Aramco state oil and gas facilities in Yanbu.
- Sarea declared these attacks were “in response to the Saudi enemy’s criminal attempts” to target the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, which is currently under Houthi control.
- Prior to these strikes, Sarea alleged that Saudi Arabia had conducted 300 airstrikes across Yemen throughout the past week.
The Houthis remain locked in a brutal civil war against Yemen’s internationally recognised government, which is supported by Saudi Arabia. Beyond this latest aerial offensive, the group has targeted Saudi territory multiple times in recent months and recently claimed responsibility for downing a Saudi fighter jet over Yemen.
Humanitarian and military toll
The conflict continues to exact a heavy toll on the ground. According to an unconfirmed report from AFP news agency, which quoted military sources on both sides of Yemen’s civil war, heavy fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces claimed 48 lives on Saturday. The Houthis reported that 31 of their fighters were killed in the clashes, while government sources confirmed the loss of 17 soldiers. This violence occurs against a backdrop of deteriorating conditions for civilians; on Friday, the International Organization for Migration, a UN body, reported that the number of people displaced as a result of recent fighting had passed 104,796.
