Explosions heard in Sanaa as Houthis report ‘Saudi aggression’; fire seen near Riyadh oil site

Loud explosions were heard in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa on Saturday, as the Iran-backed Houthi rebels report airstrikes in the area by Saudi forces.

One AFP correspondent reports hearing at least five blasts in different areas, while another reports seeing two warplanes firing missiles on the city.

Al-Masirah TV, a Houthi-affiliated media outlet, reports “Saudi aggression” against the capital, without providing details on the targets or casualties. The channel also reported earlier Saturday that missile strikes hit the telecommunications network in Yemen’s northwestern governorate of Saada, a Houthi stronghold.

Meanwhile, a witness tells Reuters that a large plume of smoke and fire could be seen rising in the vicinity of an Aramco facility in Riyadh.

Saudi authorities do not immediately confirm the fire at the state oil facility, and Aramco does not immediately respond to a request for comment. There is no immediate claim of responsibility.

After several years of calm, Yemen was plunged back into civil war in July, pitting the Iran-backed Houthis, who control most of northwest Yemen including Sanaa, against Yemen’s internationally recognised government, which is backed by neighbouring Saudi Arabia.