Yemen’s Houthis said on Saturday they launched ballistic missiles and drones at an Aramco oil facility near the Saudi capital Riyadh. An AFP journalist saw flames and smoke rising from the site south of Riyadh on Saturday afternoon. Saudi authorities have not confirmed any attack.Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said the strike answered Saudi attacks on Yemen.

He said 60 air and missile strikes had hit Yemen in the previous 24 hours.On Sunday, Yemen’s internationally recognised government said its forces struck Houthi “vital targets” in the capital Sanaa, the Saada governorate and Taiz. Houthi-run media said Saudi aircraft hit Sanaa 26 times. The government said 700 Houthi fighters were killed or wounded in 24 hours.The exchange marks a sharp escalation.

Yemen fell back into civil war in July, pitting the Iran-aligned Houthis against the Saudi-backed government in Aden. The Houthis declared a maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia on July 20 and seized the Red Sea port of Mocha in September.The fighting threatens oil facilities and Red Sea shipping at a time of record fuel prices.