Houthi Saudi strikes: claims on defence ministry, Aramco Yanbu as toll hits four
The latest Houthi Saudi strikes mark a sharp escalation. Yemen’s Houthi forces on Thursday claimed they had launched attacks on Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry in Riyadh and Aramco facilities in the Red Sea city of Yanbu. The claims came as the death toll from Houthi strikes on Saudi sites rose to four, and Aramco ordered staff to evacuate its headquarters in Dhahran.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree made the claims in a televised speech. Saudi Arabia has not confirmed the alleged strikes on the defence ministry or the Yanbu facility. The Saudi-led coalition said separately that it had intercepted and destroyed four drones over the Riyadh and Madina regions.
Houthi Saudi strikes: four dead in Dammam and Shaybah
The confirmed toll stands at four dead. Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said a strike on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on Wednesday evening killed a Saudi citizen and an Indian national, and wounded eight others. The Indian victim was identified as Kamlesh Pandey, a 37-year-old airport ground support worker from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.
The authority said injuries ranged from minor to serious. Operations have resumed.
Separately, two people were killed in a Houthi drone attack on Aramco’s Shaybah oilfield in the southeast. The dead were identified as Filipino and Nepali nationals. A Pakistani and an Indian national were among the injured, according to SAMAA TV.
Feature Pakistan earlier reported the Dammam airport casualties when the initial toll was one dead. The updated figures confirm the escalation.
Aramco evacuates headquarters
In a striking development, Aramco told staff to evacuate its headquarters in Dhahran on the Gulf coast and work remotely, according to six people with knowledge of the matter. It is the first time the world’s largest oil company has completely evacuated its headquarters.
The Houthi campaign has increasingly targeted the kingdom’s energy infrastructure. Saree said Saudi attacks had killed and wounded 562 people in Yemen since mid-July, when the Houthis imposed a naval blockade on the kingdom.
Oil prices climbed above $111 a barrel on the escalation, adding to pressure on global energy markets already strained by the US-Israel war with Iran.
Regional fallout widens
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Thursday threatened to strike American bases across the Middle East if the US military continues to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz. The warning raises the stakes in a waterway critical to global oil flows.
Egypt’s parliament is weighing military backing for the Saudi campaign in Yemen, though President Sisi has said Egypt will not attack Yemen itself and that any support aims at defending Saudi territory.
Arab states condemned the attacks. The UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Egypt denounced the strikes as violations of Saudi sovereignty and international law. Bahrain called for UN Security Council action under Chapter VII.
The United States has instructed diplomatic personnel to leave Saudi Arabia and announced evacuations of diplomats’ families from other Gulf countries.
Pakistan’s stake
Pakistan has deep ties to both Saudi Arabia and the Pakistani workers in the kingdom. With a Pakistani national among the injured, Islamabad is watching closely. Pakistan has already warned pilgrims travelling between Iran and Iraq as regional tensions rise.
The Houthi claims about the defence ministry and Yanbu remain unverified. But the confirmed deaths, the Aramco evacuation and the Iranian threats point to a conflict entering a more dangerous phase.
Frequently asked questions
What did the Houthis claim?
Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed attacks on Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry in Riyadh, Aramco facilities in Yanbu and Dammam airport. Saudi Arabia has not confirmed the Riyadh and Yanbu claims.
How many people died?
Four: a Saudi citizen and an Indian national at Dammam airport, and Filipino and Nepali nationals at the Shaybah oilfield. A Pakistani was among the injured.
Why did Aramco evacuate its headquarters?
Aramco ordered staff to leave its Dhahran headquarters and work remotely as Houthi attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure intensified. It is the first full evacuation of the HQ.
How have regional powers reacted?
The UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Egypt condemned the attacks. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned the US against escorting ships through Hormuz. Egypt’s parliament is considering military backing for Saudi Arabia.
