In brief
The Saudi‑led coalition reported a strike on a Houthi‑controlled fuel depot near Yemen’s capital Sanaa, saying the al‑Sabaha oil facility was being used to support their missile and drone campaigns. The coalition warned civilians to evacuate before the operation, while Houthi media claimed the facility had already been hit. The Houthis have threatened retaliation by targeting high‑profile Saudi sites, including Riyadh’s airport and Aramco facilities. Recent clashes have seen Saudi forces destroy three drones north of Riyadh and a deadly missile strike on King Khalid International Airport that killed 13 people. The ongoing conflict, which has been raging since 2014, has left hundreds dead, thousands displaced and has sparked a surge in cholera cases.
Earlier today, coalition forces struck the al‑Sabaha fuel depot run by the Yemen Petroleum Company in the Houthi‑held capital, a site the coalition says is being stocked to fuel its missile and drone campaigns.
Maj Gen Turki al‑Maliki, the coalition spokesperson, accused the Houthis of using the facility to support attacks on Saudi Arabia, and warned civilians to evacuate in anticipation of a “special operation.”
Houthi media claimed the depot had been hit before the coalition’s confirmation, while the Yemen Petroleum Company later said the site holds no petroleum stock and that emergency measures were in place to keep supply intact.
In response, the Houthis vowed retaliation by targeting Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, Aramco refineries, and headquarters, a threat that follows a recent missile strike that killed 13 people on the airport’s runway.
The coalition has also destroyed three drones north of Riyadh on Tuesday, continuing a campaign of aerial strikes against Houthi‑held positions along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and other fronts.
The conflict dates back to 2014, when the Houthis seized Sanaa, prompting a Saudi‑led intervention in 2015. The war has now claimed hundreds of lives, displaced more than 216,000 citizens, and seen cholera cases triple in just three weeks, according to the United Nations.
