Saudi Arabia strikes Yemen capital as Houthis vow to retaliate - Reuters

Saudi Arabia’s coalition launched air strikes on Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, on the evening of 13 October, targeting the Yemen Petroleum Company’s Sabah central station – a fuel depot on the city’s outskirts. The coalition said the operation was intended to “neutralise the capabilities of the Houthis” to threaten Saudi Arabia, Yemen and international shipping, and warned civilians to stay away from the depot and a nearby storage facility.

Houthi‑run media confirmed the strikes and reported that the coalition also hit other sites in Sanaa, Hodeidah and Dhamar that the group allegedly uses to supply missiles and drones. The Yemen Petroleum Company said the Sabah station held no petroleum stocks at the time, adding that the attack would not affect oil reserves or supply chains for residents.

Witnesses in Sanaa heard explosions, but it was not immediately clear which specific facilities were struck. The coalition’s statement did not provide casualty figures, and the Yemeni authorities have not released an official assessment of damage or civilian impact.

The attacks come amid a rapid escalation of the conflict following a Houthi missile and drone barrage on Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh International Airport on 10 October. That strike killed at least 13 people and injured more than 300, prompting Saudi investigations into how its air defences failed to intercept the weapons.

In response to the Sanaa strikes, Houthi officials vowed a “harsh and painful” retaliation, saying they could target Saudi airports and oil refineries. A Houthi spokesperson warned that any further attacks on Sanaa would be met with strikes on the Saudi capital’s airport and other strategic sites.

The coalition’s latest operation follows a week of intensified Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure, which the group says are retaliation for Saudi support of Yemeni government forces in the renewed civil war. Both sides have indicated that the conflict could broaden further if the cycle of strikes and counter‑strikes continues.