Sanaa, Aug 2026 : Yemen's Houthi group on Tuesday claimed responsibility for a fresh drone attack targeting a Saudi Aramco oil refinery in Jazan, southwestern Saudi Arabia, escalating tensions amid renewed hostilities in the region.
The Houthis said multiple drones were used in the operation and described the strike as "precise", according to a military source cited by the group's Saba news agency. The source claimed the attack was carried out in response to what the Houthis described as Saudi violations of airspace over the Houthi-controlled northern provinces of Saada and Hajjah.
There was no immediate statement from Saudi authorities or Saudi Aramco confirming the reported attack. Details regarding possible casualties, damage to the refinery or any disruption to oil operations were not immediately available.
Tuesday's claim was the latest in a series of allegations by the Houthis involving the Jazan facility. On Thursday, the group claimed that two drones had targeted the same refinery, again citing alleged Saudi air activity over Saada and Hajjah as the reason for the operation.
The latest developments come amid a broader escalation in Yemen, where the Houthis have intensified attacks involving drones and missiles. The group has claimed strikes against government-held areas, including the Red Sea port city of Mocha and the oil-producing province of Marib.
Houthi attacks have also targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a strategically important maritime passage connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Such attacks have raised concerns over regional security and international shipping routes.
Yemen has remained embroiled in a protracted conflict since late 2014, when the Houthis seized large parts of the country's north, including the capital Sanaa. Saudi Arabia subsequently led a military coalition that intervened in 2015 in support of Yemen's internationally recognised government.
A UN-brokered truce that began in April 2022 formally expired six months later without an extension. However, a fragile de facto ceasefire largely continued for an extended period despite the absence of a formal agreement.
The latest exchange of attacks signals renewed tensions between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia and could further complicate efforts to achieve a lasting political settlement to Yemen's long-running conflict.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
