Explosions rock Sanaa as Houthis and Saudi forces exchange strikes

Loud blasts hit Yemen's capital of Sanaa on Saturday as Houthi rebels accused Saudi forces of launching 26 airstrikes following a rebel attack on a Riyadh oil facility.

France 24 reported that loud explosions were heard in Sanaa on Saturday while warplanes were seen firing missiles at the city. The Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah TV attributed the blasts to "Saudi enemy aircraft," claiming the capital was hit 26 times. No immediate details were provided regarding casualties or specific targets within the city.

The strikes in Yemen followed a Houthi-claimed operation against an Aramco oil refinery south of Riyadh. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group used ballistic missiles and drones to target the facility. An AFP journalist at the scene in Saudi Arabia reported seeing flames, smoke, and firefighters working to extinguish a blaze while ambulances and police vehicles were stationed nearby.

Earlier on Saturday, Al-Masirah also reported that missile strikes targeted a telecommunications network in the northwestern governorate of Saada, which serves as a Houthi stronghold. While Saudi authorities have not yet commented on the claims, the Houthi military stated their drones and missiles sparked fires at the targeted sites in Riyadh.

The current escalation follows a period of intense territorial shifts. Last month, Houthi forces seized control of the Bab al-Mandab strait and the entirety of Yemen's Red Sea coast during a lightning offensive. On Thursday night, the rebels reported that Saudi Arabia bombed Sanaa for the first time since hostilities between the two sides resumed in July.

Background

Yemen was plunged back into civil war in July after several years of calm following a four-year truce. The conflict pits the Iran-backed Houthis, who control the capital and much of the northwest, against the internationally recognized government based in Aden.