- Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed on Thursday that they carried out two drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, targeting Najran airport and an Aramco facility in Najran, according to military spokesman Yahya Saree.
- However, Saudi Arabia is yet to confirm the development.
- Yemen has been embroiled in more than a decade of civil conflict, and in July, it became the latest country to be dragged into the Middle East war as the Houthis upended a 2022 truce with the Saudi-backed government.
- Hostilities resumed last month when the Houthis welcomed an Iranian plane in Yemen's capital Sanaa, setting off a spate of tit-for-tat attacks.
- The Houthis later announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and began hitting its ships, airports, and oil facilities.
- This week, a Yemeni minister indicated that the Houthis were plotting to seize land along the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which would allow them to further threaten the vital shipping artery.
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels announced on Thursday that they executed drone strikes targeting Najran airport and an Aramco facility in Saudi Arabia's southern Najran region. Military spokesperson Yahya Saree stated, "The first targeted a sensitive Saudi enemy site at Najran Airport, while the second targeted the Aramco facility in Najran."123
Despite the claims, Saudi Arabia has yet to confirm the attacks. This escalation follows a series of hostilities that resumed last month, marked by the Houthis' welcoming of an Iranian plane in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, which triggered retaliatory strikes.5
The Houthi rebels have been increasingly aggressive, with Iran's Revolutionary Guards warning that Saudi Arabia would be "unable to contain" them. The group has also threatened vital shipping routes, plotting to seize land along the Bab al-Mandab Strait to enhance their strategic position.7
The ongoing conflict in Yemen, now over a decade long, has seen the Houthis disrupt a 2022 truce with the Saudi-backed government, leading to a resurgence of violence. This week, reports indicated that the Houthis were planning further military advances south from their current territory, intensifying the threat to Saudi Arabia's security and regional stability.
“The Houthis' military spokesman Yahya Saree said the drones 'successfully carried out two military operations,' targeting a 'sensitive Saudi enemy site' at the airport and the Aramco facility. Iran's Revolutionary Guards earlier warned Saudi Arabia would be 'unable to contain' the Houthis as they escalate attacks.”
The Indian Express
