Saudi-led coalition strikes Sanaa fuel depot as conflict with Houthis escalates

Sanaa, Yemen. Yemen’s Houthis, who are allied with Iran, said Saudi Arabia attacked the capital on Tuesday following a Saudi-led coalition warning for civilians to avoid a fuel depot outside the city. The coalition confirmed strikes on the facility and other locations amid a rapidly intensifying conflict.

Coalition targets fuel facility and other sites

Al-Masirah, the television channel operated by the Houthis, reported that coalition forces struck the Sabah central station belonging to Yemen Petroleum Company, a fuel storage facility on Sanaa’s outskirts.

In a statement issued on Tuesday evening, the coalition said its operation sought to prevent the Houthis from threatening Saudi Arabia, Yemen and international shipping routes. It said the group used locations in Sanaa, Hodeidah and Dhamar to supply missiles and drones for attacks against the kingdom and merchant ships navigating the Red Sea.

Yemen Petroleum Company said the station contained no petroleum products at the time. According to the company, the strike left oil reserves and supply chains unaffected.

Houthis warn of attacks on Saudi oil facilities

Before the strikes, the Houthis had warned that attacks on Sanaa would trigger a “harsh and painful” response. Their spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said possible targets included Saudi Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran and a refinery in Riyadh.

The group also repeated its previous warnings to workers in Saudi Arabia’s oil industry, urging them to avoid facilities that might be targeted.

Saudi Arabia’s cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country’s de facto ruler, said the Houthis would face consequences for repeatedly attacking the kingdom.

Airport attacks disrupt flights

For a week, the Houthis have been attacking Saudi airports in retaliation for the kingdom’s support for government troops fighting them in Yemen’s renewed civil war.

A ballistic missile attack on Riyadh airport on Saturday killed 13 people, making it Saudi Arabia’s deadliest strike in a decade. Additional attacks have forced flights to remain grounded nationwide while the country hosts a major energy conference.