Riyadh: Saudi Arabia has rejected claims by Yemen’s Houthi group that it targeted the Saudi capital Riyadh, describing the allegations as “misleading” and accusing the group of seeking to portray its battlefield losses as victories.
Coalition spokesman Turki Al-Maliki told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that the Houthis had suffered human losses in Yemen’s southwestern Taiz province and on other fronts, prompting the group to make what he described as “imaginary victories”.
Al-Maliki said the claims were aimed at diverting attention from the group’s losses, growing public anger over its practices and its alleged links to external agendas, Xinhua news agency reported, citing Asharq Al-Awsat.
Houthis claim missile and drone attack on Riyadh
Earlier on Saturday, the Houthis claimed they had launched ballistic missiles and drones at an Aramco facility in Riyadh in response to what they described as intensified Saudi airstrikes on areas under their control in Yemen.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea, in a statement broadcast by the group’s al-Masirah TV, claimed the attack achieved its objective, saying there had been “direct hits” that caused fires at the targeted sites.
Explosions reported in Houthi-held Sanaa
The claims came as loud explosions were reported in Yemen’s Houthi-held capital Sanaa following what al-Masirah TV described as renewed Saudi airstrikes.
A Sanaa resident told Xinhua that warplanes could be heard overhead as powerful blasts shook buildings and rattled windows. Local residents believed the strikes targeted Houthi positions, although casualties were not immediately known.
Sarea separately claimed that 60 air and missile strikes had hit Yemen during the previous 24 hours. He said the attacks targeted areas in Sanaa, Saada, Taiz, Hajjah and Marib provinces, alleging that civilian sites were among them.
Rising tensions between Houthis and Saudi Arabia
Tensions between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia have intensified since the group announced a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia on July 20, followed by an escalation in cross-border missile and drone attacks and airstrikes.
The confrontation widened further in September amid fighting between the Houthis and Yemeni government forces, which are largely backed by Saudi Arabia. The Houthis captured the Red Sea port city of Mocha on September 10 and strategically located Mayyun Island the following day.
Yemen’s conflict began in late 2014 after the Houthis seized Sanaa and large parts of northern Yemen, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognised Yemeni government.
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