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Houthi militia claims launching missiles at Saudi oil facilities

The Houthi spokesman warned Saudi Arabia of the consequences of its continuing support to the Yemeni government,

Houthi militia claims launching missiles at Saudi oil facilities

Photo: IANS

Yemen’s Houthi militia have claimed that they launched ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones at Aramco oil facilities in the southern cities of Saudi Arabia. “The operation targeted Aramco facility in Ras al-Tanora with a ballistic missile and eight drones,” Houthi military spokesman Yehya Sarea said in a statement aired by the group’s al-Masirah TV on Sunday.

“The operation also targeted Aramco facilities in Jeddah, Jizan, and Najran with five ballistic missiles and two drones,” he said without providing further details or specifying a date of the alleged operation.

The Houthi spokesman warned Saudi Arabia of the consequences of its continuing support to the Yemeni government, reports Xinhua news agency.

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Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry announced on Sunday that two Saudi children were injured, and 14 houses were damaged in the new Houthi attacks.

The Saudi Ministry also reported the interception of three ballistic missiles and three bomb-laden drones launched by the Houthi militia. Saudi Aramco did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A source familiar with the matter said there was no impact on the company’s infrastructure and that the attack happened outside its facilities.

A missile was intercepted over a suburb of Dammam, with scattered shrapnel injuring the two children and causing minor damage to 14 houses, the Saudi ministry said. Other missiles and drones were intercepted over Jizan and Najran, it added.

Cross-border missile and drone attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis have escalated since February when the group began a major offensive against the Saudi-backed Yemeni government army to capture the oil-rich province of Marib.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa.

The Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened in the Yemeni conflict in March 2015 to support Hadi’s government.

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