Riyadh [Saudi Arabia], October 13 (ANI): The Saudi-led coalition has directed civilians to vacate a fuel installation in the Houthi-administered Yemeni capital of Sanaa ahead of a planned military operation, as Yemen's Houthi rebels issue direct threats against Saudi Arabia's petroleum infrastructure amid intensifying regional hostilities.
Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Maliki stated that locals should depart from the Yemeni Oil Company's Al-Sabahah Central Station in Sanaa to ensure their personal safety, while sharing an illustrative diagram of the premises on the social media platform X. “The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition requests civilians to evacuate the site of the Yemeni Oil Company / Al-Sabah Central Station in Sana’a, according to the illustrative map of the site, for their safety,” Al-Maliki noted.
The coalition previously indicated that an evacuation notice would be issued before conducting a “precision operation” inside the Houthi-held capital. Further details regarding the timing or extent of the offensive have not been released.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels have designated energy assets belonging to Saudi Aramco within the kingdom as “a legitimate target”, urging personnel and inhabitants near these locations to evacuate. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree issued an advisory directed at “all employees and citizens present near any facility affiliated with Aramco Oil”, as outlined in the faction's declaration.
This directive coincides with heightened rebel strikes targeting Saudi infrastructure, including aviation hubs and energy installations. While the group has claimed responsibility for multiple attacks on Saudi energy sites, individual strikes and resulting damage require independent confirmation.
Furthermore, the rebels cautioned Saudi Arabia against launching offensive manoeuvres against Sanaa, threatening severe retaliation against Riyadh should the Yemeni capital face bombardment. “The Yemeni Armed Forces warn the Saudi enemy that any targeting of the capital, Sanaa, will be met with a tough and painful response in the enemy's capital of Riyadh,” Saree said in a post on X.
Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition announced the successful interception and destruction of two ballistic missiles directed towards Khamis Mushait, a municipality in south-western Saudi Arabia. Al-Maliki additionally reported that three unmanned aerial vehicles had been neutralised north of Riyadh. Conversely, the Houthi rebels claimed to have brought down what they described as a Saudi reconnaissance aircraft, though these battlefield claims lack independent verification.
The ongoing escalation has severely disrupted aviation services across Saudi Arabia. On Sunday, October 11, Saudi authorities confirmed that a projectile struck Terminal 4 at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, resulting in one fatality among Pakistani nationals and injuring 11 others. This incident followed a previous lethal assault on the facility, which claimed 12 lives and left more than 300 individuals wounded.
The protracted Yemeni war began in 2014, when the Houthis captured Sanaa and ousted the internationally recognised administration, prompting the Saudi-led coalition to intervene in the war in 2015 to support the government.
The latest wave of hostilities has heightened international concerns about the stability of regional energy supplies and maritime trade routes, particularly across the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a strategic maritime passage. Additional strikes targeting Saudi petroleum installations or commercial vessels could further heighten risks to regional energy supplies and trade. (ANI)
Saudi-led coalition orders Sanaa evacuation as Houthis threaten Saudi Aramco sites
