According to the coalition fighting in Yemen, Houthi rebel fighters attacked multiple Saudi infrastructures. This comes only days after the rebels turned down a GCC offer to discuss the situation.
According to sources, the Saudi-led military coalition announced early Sunday that the Houthi rebels launched four attacks on the country. According to the report, the attacks damaged civilian vehicles and homes but fortunately led to no injuries.
This was the latest in a series of cross-border Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia, as peace talks between the two sides remain deadlocked. Yemen has been devastated by the continuous conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels since 2015.
The Houthis attacked a facility managed by the state-owned oil company Aramco in Jizan, southern Saudi Arabia, early Sunday, according to the coalition. They also hit a desalination plant in Al-Shaqeeq, a power station in the south Dhahran al Janub city, and a gas complex in Khamis Mushait.
Local media later reported that the coalition intercepted and destroyed nine drones fired in the kingdom’s southern region targeting economic facilities. According to state television, the coalition also prevented an attempt at an Aramco Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility in the Saudi port city of Yanbu.
Later in the day, another airborne attack sparked a fire in a fuel tank at an Aramco distribution station in the Red Sea port city of Jiddah. The Houthis have claimed responsibility for the attacks, calling it a military operation against numerous “vital targets.” in Saudi Arabia.
The attacks come days after an oil refinery in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, was hit by a drone strike. The attack on March 10 was claimed by the Houthis. They also coincide with Aramco’s announcement that its revenues will increase by 124% to $110 billion (€99.4 billion) in 2021. The increase is ascribed to concerns about global supplies and rising oil prices.
The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council has invited the Houthis to Riyadh for discussions on the Yemen conflict beginning March 29. However, earlier this week, the rebels stated that they would accept discussions with the coalition only if held in a neutral country, such as one of the Gulf states. It also said that eliminating “arbitrary” limitations on Yemeni ports and the Sanaa airport was a top priority.
Yemen has been in civil war since 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthis deposed the government. The rebels got hold of the country’s northern regions, including Sanaa, forcing the internationally recognised government to retreat to the south.
Since 2015, a Saudi-led coalition has been fighting rebels in Yemen. As a result, the Houthis have regularly targeted the kingdom’s infrastructure.
