Houthis claim drone strike on ‘sensitive’ targets in Saudi capital

Houthis claim drone strike on ‘sensitive’ targets in Saudi capital
Yemen's Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for an alleged drone attack on 'sensitive and important' targets in Riyadh.
2 min read
01 April, 2021
Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree announced that the group had struck Riyadh [Getty]

The Houthis claimed an as-yet unconfirmed drone attack on what the group calls “sensitive and important” targets in Riyadh on Thursday. 

The Houthis' military spokesman, Yahya Saree, made the announcement via Twitter, adding that four drones were used in the operation and that the strike was “precise.”

He did not specify which facilities were hit.

“This targeting comes within the framework of our natural right to respond to the ongoing aggression and siege on our country,” he said.

While the Saudi government has not yet responded to the Houthis’ claims, there has been a recent uptick in the Yemeni rebels' strikes against Saudi Arabia.

In March, the group rejected a Saudi ceasefire proposal, stating that it would not consent to this without the Saudi-led coalition lifting a blockade of territories it controls.

It later claimed a drone attack on an Aramco refinery in Riyadh, as part of a pattern of assaults on energy infrastructure.

The Houthis and the Saudi backed internationally recognised government of Yemen are also facing off in the Marib region, an oil-rich province the Houthis seek to capture.

Read more: Yemen in Focus - Houthi offensive on Marib could determine country's future

Saudi coalition warplanes are currently carrying out strikes in Marib in order to prevent the Houthis advancing.

On Thursday the Saudi-led coalition announced it had intercepted a Houthi missile intended to strike the Marib area.

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