Yemen’s Armed Forces have announced a special military operation deep inside Saudi Arabia, targeting three strategic sites with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Yemeni Armed Forces spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree said the operation was carried out in response to Saudi attacks on Sana’a and Yemen’s liberated governorates.
“The Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a high-quality military operation targeting Aramco in Dhahran, in the Eastern Province, King Khalid International Airport, and the Aramco refinery in Riyadh,” it said.
It added that the operation was “carried out using a large number of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones.”
The Yemeni Armed Forces said the strikes “were precise” and “caused destruction and fires at the targeted sites.”
The statement noted that Saudi Arabia has carried out 2,281 air and missile attacks in recent weeks as tensions escalated, committing dozens of crimes. It added that the operation was part of Yemen’s deterrence strategy and followed previous warnings.
“The Yemeni Armed Forces affirm that their operations deep inside Saudi Arabia will continue in the coming days, targeting Saudi enemy airports and oil facilities, and that the consequences for the enemy will be severe,” the statement further said.
It also called on international airlines, civilians, and airport personnel to immediately evacuate the sites, which have become legitimate targets.
“We will continue to uphold the equation of ‘siege for siege’ and ‘escalation for escalation,’ and target the Saudi enemy’s military build-ups until the aggression stops and the siege on our dear country is lifted,” it noted.
Meanwhile, several regional Arab media outlets reported hearing explosions in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense said early-warning sirens sounded in Riyadh and Al-Kharj.
Reuters reported a warning of a potential aerial threat in Riyadh. A spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition also confirmed a Yemeni missile attack on the capital, identifying the projectile as a ballistic missile but claiming it was intercepted.
Earlier on Wednesday, Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry said an Aramco administrative building in eastern Saudi Arabia was targeted, triggering a fire, amid warnings from Yemen.
The latest escalation in Yemen began after Saudi Arabia bombed Sana’a’s international airport in July. The Yemeni Armed Forces responded by enforcing a “blockade for blockade” policy and declaring an embargo on Saudi shipping in the Red Sea.
The Yemeni forces have expanded their presence along the western coast and around the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait, reclaiming areas previously held by Saudi-backed forces.
In March 2015, Saudi Arabia and its allies imposed a blockade on Yemen and launched a sweeping military offensive, backed by military, political, and logistical support from the United States and several Western countries.
The war has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Yemenis, without Saudi Arabia managing to achieve its main objective of reinstating its favorite officials in Yemen, who had fled the country amid political uncertainty.
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