Houthis Claim 26 Saudi Airstrikes on Sanaa as Smoke and Flames Reported at Riyadh-Area Oil Facilities

SANAA/ Riyadh (Terror Monitor) — Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed that Saudi Arabia carried out 26 airstrikes on the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, on Saturday, targeting multiple locations across the city, as separate reports from international news agencies said smoke and flames were seen rising from oil facilities in the outskirts of the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

The Houthis said the Saudi strikes hit several areas of Sanaa. However, no immediate details were available regarding casualties, injuries or damage to property, and the full extent of the reported attacks remained unclear.

Meanwhile, the Agence France-Presse (AFP) and Reuters news agencies reported that smoke and flames had been observed at oil installations in the outskirts of Riyadh. As of the latest information provided, neither Saudi authorities nor the Houthis had issued an official statement confirming the circumstances surrounding the reported incident or identifying its cause.

The reports emerged amid escalating military activity in Yemen, where Saudi-backed government forces and the Iran-backed Houthi movement have continued to clash over control of territory and strategic military positions.

Earlier, Yemen’s Saudi-backed government forces announced that they had targeted key Houthi military centres and installations in Sanaa in airstrikes. According to the government forces, the operation was intended to weaken the Houthis’ military capabilities.

The reported attacks and competing claims came as the Houthis continued ground operations in Yemen’s southwestern Taiz province, where clashes between the rebel movement and government forces have also been reported.

The latest developments have added to concerns about a further escalation of the conflict, which has involved successive rounds of fighting between the Houthis, Yemen’s internationally recognised government and the Saudi-led coalition supporting it.

Saudi Arabia and the Houthis

The Houthis, an armed movement backed by Iran, have fought Yemen’s internationally recognised government and have repeatedly targeted Saudi Arabia and other regional adversaries. Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition supporting the Yemeni government against the group.

The conflict has involved airstrikes, ground offensives and cross-border attacks, with civilians and critical infrastructure exposed to the consequences of the fighting.

The Houthis retain control of Sanaa and extensive areas of northern Yemen, including territory along parts of the Red Sea coast. Their control of the capital and strategically important areas has made the movement a central actor in Yemen’s prolonged conflict.

The reported Saudi airstrikes on Sanaa, together with the reports of smoke and flames at oil facilities near Riyadh, raised questions about the potential for further cross-border escalation. However, without official confirmation of the reported incidents, their precise circumstances, the extent of any damage and whether the events were connected remained unclear.

Further statements from Saudi authorities, the Houthis or independent sources would be needed to establish the full scope and impact of the reported developments.