Iran-Backed Houthis Claim Four Military Operations Inside Saudi Arabia as Coalition Intercepts Drones

RIYADH, SANNA (Terror Monitor) — Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for four military operations targeting sites inside Saudi Arabia over the past 48 hours, including the Saudi Ministry of Defense in Riyadh, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, an Aramco facility in Yanbu and Abha International Airport.

The announcement came as the Saudi-led military coalition reported intercepting and destroying four drones launched toward the kingdom, including in the Riyadh and Madinah regions, amid escalating cross-border hostilities.

In a video statement published on the social media platform X, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group had carried out four operations using ballistic missiles and drones.

Saree claimed that the attacks directly struck their intended targets, although the Houthi account of the results has not been independently verified.

The reported targets included the Saudi Ministry of Defense building in Riyadh, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, an Aramco facility in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu and Abha International Airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia.

Houthis Threaten Further Attacks on Saudi Arabia

Saree said the operations were carried out in response to what the group described as Saudi military aggression against Yemen.

He alleged that Saudi Arabia had conducted more than 2,900 air and missile strikes against civilian targets in Yemen during the preceding 100 days of the latest escalation.

According to the Houthi spokesperson, the attacks had resulted in more than 562 people being killed or injured, most of them women and children.

These casualty figures and allegations were presented by the Houthi movement and have not been independently verified.

Saree warned that the group would continue military operations inside Saudi Arabia, saying the attacks were intended to defend Yemen and its population.

The latest statement marks a further escalation in the confrontation between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, which backs Yemen's internationally recognised government.

Saudi-Led Coalition Intercepts Drones

Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said its forces had intercepted and destroyed four unmanned aerial vehicles launched toward Saudi Arabia.

Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Maliki announced the interceptions on Wednesday, October 21, but did not initially identify those responsible for launching the drones or specify their intended targets.

The coalition subsequently reported additional interceptions in other parts of the kingdom as drone attacks and military operations intensified.

The interceptions came amid growing concerns about the security of Saudi cities, airports and critical energy infrastructure.

Saudi Arabia has faced a series of attacks targeting aviation facilities and oil installations, raising concerns about further disruptions to air traffic and energy exports.

Deadly Attacks on Dammam Airport and Aramco Facility

The latest escalation follows separate attacks on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam and an Aramco oil facility in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province on October 21.

Saudi civil aviation authorities confirmed fatalities and injuries following the incident at King Fahd International Airport.

According to Reuters, the airport attack killed two people and injured eight, while debris from a drone that struck an Aramco facility also resulted in two fatalities and injuries. A Pakistani national was among those reported injured in the separate oil facility incident.

The incidents have heightened security concerns around Saudi Arabia's aviation and energy sectors.

Saudi Aramco, the kingdom's state-owned oil company, operates critical infrastructure that plays a major role in global energy supplies.

Any sustained disruption to its facilities or to international aviation could have broader economic consequences, particularly if the attacks spread to additional strategic locations.

Houthis Escalate Campaign Against Saudi Infrastructure

The Houthi movement has increasingly threatened Saudi airports, military installations and energy facilities as fighting intensifies across the region.

The group has previously claimed attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Abha International Airport and Saudi oil infrastructure, using combinations of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones. Saudi authorities have separately announced interceptions of incoming projectiles.

The renewed confrontation has also placed pressure on Saudi Arabia's efforts to protect critical infrastructure and prevent the conflict from spreading further.

Saudi Arabia intervened militarily in Yemen in 2015 in support of the internationally recognised government after the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa.

A United Nations-brokered truce in 2022 substantially reduced cross-border attacks, but renewed hostilities have since undermined the relative calm.

The latest Houthi claims and Saudi coalition interceptions underscore the growing risk of further attacks on strategic infrastructure.

It remains unclear whether the four operations announced by the Houthis resulted in the full extent of damage claimed by the group. Saudi authorities have not publicly confirmed all the reported strikes on the Ministry of Defense, the Yanbu Aramco facility and Abha International Airport.