The Houthi rebels announced this Saturday that they have carried out attacks against the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, as well as against several facilities of Saudi Aramco, the largest oil company in the world and controlled by the Saudi government, located on the western coast of the country.
The military spokesman for the insurgency, Yahya Sari, explained in a statement that they have executed "two successful military operations using a large number of ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones."
According to their version, "the first targeted strategic points in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, and the second was directed against Aramco facilities in Yanbu," before specifying that in both attacks there were "large fires."
So far, the Houthis have not detailed which specific infrastructures have been hit in Riyadh, and the Saudi authorities have also not issued official comments. However, on social media, images and videos have circulated showing dense columns of black smoke rising near the King Khalid International Airport in the capital.
The militia has justified these bombings as a direct response to the accusations made on Wednesday about an alleged attack on Mecca, something that Sari has described as a "great slander," as well as to the offensives of the military coalition led by Riyadh in support of the internationally recognized Yemeni government.
In this regard, the spokesman has denounced that "the false propaganda spread by the media of the Saudi enemy, which claims that we attack civilians, is unfounded; such statements are simply the result of failed interceptions by the enemy's Saudi defense systems," before reaffirming that the Houthis will maintain their reprisals "until the aggression ceases and the blockade on" Yemen is lifted.
His statement came after, on Friday night, the Saudi authorities activated emergency alerts in eight cities across the country, including the capital, due to the risk of attacks by the Houthi militia. Hours later, Riyadh declared these warnings over after considering that the immediate threat had diminished.