Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen say they have carried out a series of drone and ballistic missile attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, including the capital, Riyadh, and energy facilities along the country’s Red Sea coast.
Saudi authorities, however, said their air defences intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired towards Riyadh. Officials did not confirm additional strikes or report any casualties from the attacks.
The incident came after a column of black smoke was seen rising from fuel tanks near King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, prompting a temporary disruption to flights.
Air-raid alerts were also activated in the Saudi capital for the first time since the Houthis intensified attacks on Saudi territory in July.
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Saudi-led coalition spokesman said air defences had intercepted what he described as “hostile attempts to target civilians” in the cities of Bish, Taif, Farasan and Yanbu.
In a statement released online, Houthi military spokesman Yahya al-Sarea claimed the group had launched a “large number of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones” against what he called sensitive targets in Riyadh and facilities belonging to Saudi state-owned energy giant Aramco in Yanbu.
Al-Sarea said the attacks were carried out in response to what he described as Saudi Arabia’s “criminal attempts” to strike Sanaa, the Yemeni capital controlled by the Houthis.
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The Houthi spokesman had earlier accused Saudi Arabia of conducting about 300 strikes across Yemen during the previous week.
The Houthis have been fighting Yemen’s internationally recognised government, which receives military and political backing from Saudi Arabia. The conflict has continued for years, with the Houthis repeatedly targeting Saudi territory with missiles and drones.
The group also claimed earlier in the week that it had shot down a Saudi fighter jet over Yemen, although details surrounding the incident remained disputed.
Meanwhile, an unconfirmed report by AFP, citing military sources from both sides of Yemen’s civil war, said fighting between Houthi and Saudi-backed government forces had killed 48 people on Saturday.
According to the report, the Houthis said 31 of their fighters were killed, while government sources claimed 17 soldiers from their side had died.
The humanitarian situation has also continued to deteriorate. The International Organization for Migration said on Friday that the number of people displaced by recent fighting in Yemen had exceeded 104,000, calling for urgent humanitarian action.
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In Riyadh, residents reported hearing several explosions following overnight emergency alerts.
An AFP journalist also reported seeing firefighters battling flames from a damaged fuel tank belonging to Aramco.
The Saudi Civil Defence had earlier issued mobile-phone alerts warning residents in Riyadh and other areas of possible danger before an all-clear was later announced.
A resident in northern Riyadh described the experience as frightening, saying the air-raid alarm was followed by explosions that caused windows to shake.
The latest escalation comes amid heightened tensions around the Red Sea and critical shipping routes linking the Gulf region with Asia and Europe.
The Houthis have also sought to exert control over strategic territory and shipping corridors in Yemen, while accusing Saudi Arabia of imposing restrictions on ports and airports in Houthi-controlled areas.
The conflict has raised fresh concerns about the security of regional energy infrastructure and global oil supplies.
On Friday, investment bank JPMorgan warned that the impact of the conflict on oil prices was difficult to predict, saying it was struggling to model how the situation would ultimately develop.
With missile and drone attacks continuing to threaten critical infrastructure and shipping routes, concerns remain over the potential for the conflict to further disrupt regional energy markets and international trade.
