Riyadh, 14 October (H.S.): Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi rebels have escalated once again after Saudi Arabia launched a strike on Tuesday against a major fuel depot in northern Yemen allegedly used by the rebel group. According to the Saudi-led coalition, the facility was being used to support operations targeting Saudi airports, energy installations and commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

The strike came amid growing concerns over the threat of missile and drone attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels against the Saudi capital, Riyadh, and the kingdom’s southern regions. The latest confrontation between the two sides has heightened concerns about regional security and the protection of critical energy infrastructure.

The Saudi-led coalition said its forces targeted the Al-Sabaha Central Station in northern Yemen, describing it as one of the major fuel distribution centres in Houthi-controlled territory. According to available information, the facility has a storage capacity of approximately 58,000 metric tonnes.

The coalition alleged that the Houthi rebels were using the facility to support their military operations, including attacks against targets inside Saudi Arabia and shipping routes in the Red Sea.

However, the Houthi-controlled Yemen Oil Company had earlier stated that the facility did not contain any stockpile of petroleum products. According to the company, the strike was therefore unlikely to have a significant impact on fuel stocks or supplies.

According to the Houthi side, two civilians were killed and two others injured in the Saudi strike. In contrast, the Saudi-led coalition claimed that civilians had been warned to evacuate the affected area before the operation was carried out.

Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Maliki said the operation was intended to weaken the capabilities used by the Houthi rebels to threaten Saudi Arabia, Yemen, the southern Red Sea and vital maritime routes. However, independent confirmation of the damage caused by the strike and the reported civilian casualties was not immediately available.

Hours after the attack on the fuel depot, the Saudi-led coalition announced that it had intercepted and destroyed three cruise missiles and two drones launched towards the Riyadh region and southern Saudi Arabia.

According to Saudi officials, falling debris following the interceptions injured at least four people. The incidents have raised fresh concerns about the security of major urban centres and strategic installations across the kingdom.

Meanwhile, reports emerged that an administrative building belonging to Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil company, had also been targeted in Dhahran, a city in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province. The incident reportedly triggered a minor fire inside the building.

According to Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy, no injuries were reported in the incident. The developments around energy facilities have heightened concerns about the security of oil supplies and critical energy infrastructure in the region.

The latest strikes and retaliatory actions have raised serious questions about Saudi Arabia’s security, the humanitarian situation in Yemen and the potential impact on vital maritime routes in the Red Sea. Any further escalation could have wider implications for regional stability, commercial shipping and global energy supplies.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar