Saudi Arabia hit by multiple explosions after strikes on Yemeni oil facility
Cities across Saudi Arabia were rocked by explosions on Tuesday night local time after the kingdom launched strikes on energy facilities in Sanaa, the Yemeni capital controlled by the Houthis.
The Saudi-led coalition warned residents to evacuate the area before carrying out the strikes that mark a clear escalation in the spiralling conflict between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia.
The Associated Press reported witness testimonies of several explosions across Sanaa after the al-Sabaha central station fuel facility had been targeted in the strikes.
Explosions and blasts were also reported in Riyadh, Dammam and Dhahran on Tuesday night, as the Houthis appeared to pummel Saudi Arabia with missiles and drones.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said it intercepted at least three missiles and two drones over Riyadh.
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Multiple news sites reported blasts heard in Dhahran, the city home to Saudi Arabia’s oil giant, Aramco. The Houthis warned all employees and civilians near Aramco oil facilities and offices to evacuate on Tuesday, calling the sites “a legitimate target” earlier in the day. They also said they would attack sites in Riyadh.
“Any targets in the capital Sanaa will be met with a harsh and painful response in the Saudi enemy's capital, Riyadh,” Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said earlier on Tuesday.
The threat came after a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis told civilians to evacuate al-Sabaha central station.
A massive fire cloud was filmed in Sanaa that was attributed to Saudi strikes. Middle East Eye could not immediately confirm the blast's authenticity.
The attack came after Houthi strikes on Saudi airports and energy sites in recent days. The Saudi-led coalition issued its first evacuation order in the Yemeni capital since the war flared in July.
The Houthis also said two people were killed when an oil company in the Red Sea province of Hodeidah was attacked.
The back-to-back strikes on energy infrastructure could herald a new phase of the war, risking higher energy prices.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday complained that the Houthis were trying to send prices higher.
"I’ll be there after the elections, and I will never forget!” Trump said, accusing the group of trying to influence the 3 November midterm elections. "The Houthis are behaving very badly,” he added.
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