A fire broke out on Saturday in a fuel tank belonging to Aramco near King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, causing significant disruption to flight operations before they returned to normal, hours after two explosions were heard in the Saudi capital.
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firefighters worked to extinguish the fire that broke out in a tank bearing the logo of the Saudi oil company, while a cloud of black smoke was seen rising towards the airport.
Long delays and cancellations of a number of flights were recorded at the airport, according to Flightradar24, a website specializing in tracking air traffic, which classified the situation as being among the highest levels of disruption, before air traffic stabilized again.
Saudi authorities issued their first warning of an airstrike in the capital since fighting resumed in Yemen, sparking concern among Riyadh residents after explosions were heard in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Shortly residents of Riyadh received a warning message stating: “The area is under hostile aerial threat,” urging them to stay in their homes.
Two explosions were then heard, before the Saudi Civil Defense announced that the alert had been lifted after about half an hour.
Later on Saturday, the Houthis announced that they had attacked “sensitive targets” in Riyadh and targeted the Aramco oil company in Yanbu on the Red Sea coast.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a statement on Telegram that his forces “carried out two qualitative military operations with a large number of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones. The first targeted sensitive targets in the Saudi enemy capital, Riyadh, and the second targeted Aramco in Yanbu,” accusing Saudi Arabia, which supports the Yemeni government, of targeting the capital, Sana’a.
Saree considered the two operations to be a response to the Houthis' accusation of targeting Mecca, and a response to Saudi raids that he said amounted to 732 air raids and left dead and wounded.
Saree’ confirmed that the Houthis will continue targeting Saudi “military buildups” until the blockade ends.
In contrast, the Saudi-led military coalition announced on Saturday evening that it had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile at dawn after it was launched by the Houthis towards Riyadh.
the Houthis “attempted to target civilians and civilian objects in the cities of Bish, Taif, Farasan and Yanbu,” noting that “the hostile attempts were thwarted by air defenses.”
These developments come after the Saudi-led military coalition accused the Houthis on Wednesday of attempting to target Mecca with a drone, sparking outrage in the Islamic world and escalating tensions in the renewed war in Yemen.
The Houthis strongly denied the accusation, describing it as a “blatant lie.”
The Houthis have been fighting against Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces since military operations resumed in July, when they also announced a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia and began targeting ships in the Red Sea.
The Houthis reported that they have been subjected to dozens of retaliatory strikes launched by Saudi Arabia daily since they seized control of the vital Bab al-Mandab Strait more than a week ago.
On Friday evening, the UN Security Council condemned the attacks on Saudi Arabia and called on the Houthis to “immediately cease” their attacks, affirming Riyadh’s right to self-defense in accordance with international law.
Last week, the Houthis seized control of the entire western coast overlooking the Red Sea, and took control of the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, which connects the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, and consequently Asia to Europe via the Suez Canal.
Houthi military sources reported that the group has begun digging tunnels and installing radars in the area that was visited by members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in recent days.
The Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Red Sea have gained increasing importance for Saudi Arabia to export its oil, given that Iran has largely closed the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the US-Israeli war against it on February 28.
The renewed attacks on shipping in the region have led to a significant decline in Saudi exports, according to Kpler, a company specializing in tracking maritime traffic.
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