Sanaa, Sep 19 (EFE).- The military spokesman for Yemen’s Houthis, Yahya Saree, stated Saturday that the group launched missile attacks against military targets in Riyadh and in the port city and major oil hub of Yanbu, Saudi Arabia.
In a televised statement, Saree said that several ballistic and cruise missiles and drones were used in the operations and reached “sensitive” targets in the Saudi capital and the facilities of the national oil company Aramco in Yanbu, on the Red Sea coast, causing “massive fires” at the attacked sites.
He did not provide specific details about the weapons, the exact location of the alleged targets, nor the extent of the damage or casualties.
The spokesman linked these latest attacks to what he described as ongoing Saudi airstrikes in Yemen, in which Saudi aircraft, including F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets, are being deployed from bases in Khamis Mushait and Taif.
Saree also reiterated that the Saudi airstrikes, which he put at 732 this week, have caused deaths and injuries among the population and damaged civilian infrastructure, while also rejecting Saudi claims that the rebel group was deliberately targeting civilians in the neighboring country.
In this regard, Saree noted that incidents such as the one that occurred two days ago in the Saudi region of Taif, which left one person dead and several others injured to varying degrees, are the result of failed interception attempts by Saudi Arabia’s air defense systems.
In this context, Saree also indicated that the Houthis will respond to the “Saudi military ” with “blockade for blockade and escalation for escalation.”
The exchange of attacks is taking place against the backdrop of renewed ground fighting between the Iran-backed Houthis and the internationally recognized Yemeni government, whose main supporter is Riyadh.
In September, in a lightning-fast offensive, the Houthis seized key cities and strategic points along the country’s western coast, enabling them to take control of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the southern entrance to the Red Sea, which threatens to exacerbate population displacement and disrupt access to vital transportation and supply routes. EFE
ja-amr/mcd
