Houthis claim strikes on Saudi Aramco sites and Riyadh airport

Yemen's Houthis claimed on October 14 that they had attacked Saudi Aramco facilities and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Interfax reported spokesperson Yahya Saree's statement that missiles and drones targeted an Aramco site in Dhahran in the Eastern Province, the company's Riyadh refinery and the airport. TASS also reported the claims. Later, Interfax carried a further statement from Saree claiming a ballistic missile strike and a direct hit on the airport. [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]

The claims followed evacuation warnings issued the previous day. Vedomosti and RIA Novosti reported that Saree urged civilians and employees to leave areas near Aramco oil facilities, calling them legitimate targets for Houthi forces. Interfax reported a warning naming an Aramco office in Dammam, the Riyadh refinery and the airport as potential targets if Saudi forces struck facilities in Sanaa. It also reported that Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki had urged civilians to leave an area near a Yemeni Oil Company facility in Sanaa. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]

The supplied reporting does not independently establish whether the October 14 strikes hit their targets or the damage caused. Reports also give different figures for earlier airport attacks. RIA Novosti reported 14 deaths from repeated attacks over the preceding weekend, while Kommersant reported 18 deaths and at least 300 injuries in the October 10 attack. The accounts cover different periods and do not reconcile those figures. [ 2 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]

Kommersant reported that Saudi Arabia had closed the airport until October 17 and airlines had cancelled flights. It said the attacks raised questions about the World Energy Congress and Future Investment Initiative scheduled in Riyadh at the end of October. Citing AFP, the outlet reported that Saudi authorities intended to offer guests alternative routes to reach the events. [ 7 ]