RIYADH — Saudi-led coalition dismissed Houthi claims that the group struck an Aramco facility near Riyadh, calling it a misleading attempt to divert attention from reported Houthi losses on Yemen’s battlefields, particularly around Taiz.
Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki responds to Houthi statement as “illusory victory,” arguing that the group was using claims of attacks on Saudi Arabia to shift the spotlight away from its setbacks against Yemeni government-aligned forces.
Houthis, through military spokesman Yahya Sarea and al-Masirah TV, had claimed that ballistic missiles and drones targeted an Aramco facility in or near Riyadh in retaliation for Saudi-led strikes on Yemen. The group said the attack scored direct hits and caused fires.
A fire and plume of smoke were reportedly observed near an Aramco-linked facility south of Riyadh, with emergency crews responding. However, Saudi authorities and Aramco did not confirm that the site had been successfully struck by Houthi weapons or publicly attribute the incident to the attack.
Al-Maliki’s comments therefore placed the alleged Aramco attack at the center of a wider information battle over the conflict. While the Houthis portrayed the operation as a successful retaliatory strike, the coalition argued that the announcement was intended to distract from fighting in Taiz and other Yemeni fronts.
The coalition spokesman also accused the Houthis of exploiting public anger and promoting what he described as an Iranian agenda, framing the group’s claims as part of a broader propaganda campaign.
The coalition’s response came as Yemeni government-aligned forces reported an intense series of operations against Houthi positions. Yemeni military spokesman Col. Majid Al-Nuzaili said government forces had conducted 257 operations, employing aircraft, drones, artillery, missiles and rocket launchers against command centers, troop concentrations, reserves, weapons depots and supply routes.
The reported operations stretched across Sanaa, Midi, Baqim, Al-Jawf, Marib, Al-Bayda and Lahj, with Taiz identified as the main focus.
Yemeni officials claimed that at least 700 Houthi fighters had been neutralized and around 170 vehicles and other military assets destroyed. Those figures remain claims from the government-aligned side and have not been independently verified.
The government side has also circulated far larger casualty estimates, including claims that approximately 5,000 Houthi fighters were lost within a week. Independent confirmation of those figures is unavailable, while Houthi sources have provided different casualty accounts.
For Houthis, the alleged Aramco operation show that they retain the ability to threaten strategic Saudi infrastructure despite intensified fighting inside Yemen. For Saudi-led coalition, the same claim is being portrayed as an attempt to manufacture a battlefield success and divert attention from Houthi losses, particularly around Taiz.
The alleged Aramco strike remains disputed. The reported fire near an Aramco-linked site confirms that an incident occurred, but does not independently establish that a Houthi missile or drone caused it.
Huge Fire erupts near Riyadh Aramco Site amid Possible Houthi Attack
