Yemen’s Houthi movement targeted the Saudi capital of Riyadh with a ballistic missile and launched drone strikes against vital oil infrastructure. Military spokesman Yahya Saree announced the attacks on X.
Saree stated that the group directed unmanned aerial vehicles at crude oil pumping stations along the kingdom’s East-West Pipeline. The movement did not immediately detail the extent of the damage.
Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense Directorate reported that its early warning system activated a danger alert for Riyadh prior to the interception. Major General Turki Al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, confirmed that air defence forces intercepted a ballistic missile aimed at the capital.
The East-West Pipeline is a primary crude oil transportation route for Saudi Arabia. Operated by state-owned Saudi Aramco, the energy corridor spans roughly 1,200 kilometres, or 745 miles.
The infrastructure stretches from the Abqaiq area in eastern Saudi Arabia to Yanbu on the Red Sea coast. Positioned entirely inside Saudi territory, the system carries crude oil from eastern production and processing facilities to refineries and export terminals by the Red Sea.
This pipeline offers Saudi Arabia an overland transport alternative that avoids maritime shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
Yemen has suffered through a civil war since September 2014, when the Houthis captured the capital city of Sanaa and several provinces. The Saudi-led coalition intervened to support Yemen’s internationally recognised government in March 2015.
Armed clashes between Yemeni government troops and Houthi forces have intensified in recent months. The group has repeatedly launched ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia, accusing the kingdom of leading military operations against Yemen.
