Yemen’s Houthi rebels have claimed missile and drone strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Riyadh and the Khurais area. The claims were made over the weekend of October 3-4.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the attacks were ‘precise and direct’ and caused fires at the sites. He described them as retaliation for Saudi-led coalition air strikes on Yemen.

An AFP journalist reported seeing flames and smoke rising from an Aramco refinery south of Riyadh. Saudi authorities have not confirmed that the facility was attacked.

The Saudi-led coalition’s spokesman, Major General Turki al-Malki, called the Houthi claims ‘misleading’. He accused the group of trying to divert attention from its battlefield losses.

The escalation follows years of relative calm. Yemen’s internationally recognised government has announced operations to reclaim Houthi-held territory, while the Houthis have declared a naval blockade on Saudi-linked shipping in the Red Sea. Figures cited by both sides have not been independently verified.