Key Takeaways
- Yemen’s Houthis claimed Saudi Arabia struck an oil facility in Sanaa.
- The coalition warned civilians to evacuate the area before the strike.
- Many countries, including France, have issued travel warnings to their citizens in Saudi Arabia.
Yemen’s Houthis claimed that Saudi Arabia struck an oil facility in Sanaa on Tuesday, according to AFP reports.
The Riyadh-led coalition had issued an evacuation order for the area, warning civilians to leave an oil facility belonging to the Yemen Petroleum Company on the western outskirts of Sanaa.
An AFP correspondent in Sanaa reported hearing an explosion, while a breaking news alert on the Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah TV channel stated, 'Saudi aggression targets the oil company in Al-Sabaha, west of Sanaa'.
The Saudi-led coalition had not yet confirmed the reported strike.
In response to the coalition’s warning, the Houthis issued a threat to target Riyadh’s international airport, a refinery, and an Aramco facility in Dammam if the strike went ahead.
The Yemeni Armed Forces urged all citizens to immediately evacuate and move away from targets that their forces would strike should the Saudi enemy target, according to a statement by military spokesman Yahya Saree on X.
An attack at Riyadh’s airport on Saturday left 13 people dead and operations suspended, deepening the war in Yemen, where the kingdom backs the internationally recognised government.
Many civilians in Sanaa, fearing shortages, rushed to queue in front of fuel stations after the coalition warning.
The Yemen Petroleum Company sought to reassure the public, stating that it had taken all necessary precautions in the event of an emergency to 'meet people’s needs'.
Petroleum stocks were 'available in safe facilities and locations, and in sufficient quantities' to meet demand for long periods, it said.
Saudi Arabia was still weathering fresh attacks on Tuesday, with the coalition saying its forces intercepted three drones north of the kingdom’s capital Riyadh.
Many countries, including France, have issued travel warnings to their citizens in Saudi Arabia, most recently advising them to avoid the airports in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam on Tuesday.
The Saudi coalition has supported Yemen’s government militarily against the Houthis since 2015 in a long-running civil war that has created a humanitarian crisis.
The kingdom faces a major economic contraction this year, with GDP expected to shrink 3.3 per cent, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday, predicting a regional drop over Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
The restart in July of Yemen’s frozen war has further roiled the kingdom and brought the fight to its own soil. Houthi attacks have also targeted oil facilities.
