Houthis Claim Strikes on Saudi Aramco Oil Refinery After Coalition Airstrikes Reportedly Kill 16

Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility on Saturday, 24 October 2026, for attacks targeting Saudi Aramco facilities, an oil refinery and several airports across Saudi Arabia.

The group also said it had struck military installations in Aden, although Saudi authorities had not immediately confirmed the alleged attacks.

Houthi-controlled media reported that Saudi airstrikes had killed 16 people in Sanaa and surrounding areas, according to AFP reporting carried by Hindustan Times. The reported death toll could not be independently verified from the available accounts.

The reported violence has raised further concerns about civilian safety and the security of critical infrastructure.

Houthis Name Saudi Aramco Facilities and Airports as Alleged Targets

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree identified several locations in Saudi Arabia that the group claimed to have attacked. They included a Saudi Aramco facility in Yanbu, the Rabigh oil refinery and airports in Riyadh, Dammam and Najran.

The group also claimed to have targeted an air base in Khamis Mushait, extending its reported operations beyond oil infrastructure and civilian aviation facilities.

The allegations, reported by Reuters and carried by Hindustan Times, remained unconfirmed by Saudi authorities at the time of reporting.

There was no independently verified information establishing whether the alleged strikes damaged the identified oil facilities or disrupted airport operations. The Houthis' claims should therefore not be treated as confirmation that every announced target was hit.

Separately, the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted two missiles heading towards Taif and Yanbu in western Saudi Arabia, according to Reuters.

Saudi Arabia's civil defence agency also issued warnings covering four western regions, including Taif, Yanbu, Mecca and Jeddah.

Residents were instructed to seek shelter in the nearest safe location. Authorities additionally warned against sharing images or information concerning missile and drone interception operations.

The alerts were withdrawn minutes later. The reported interceptions did not independently establish that the other facilities named by the Houthis had been struck.

Houthi Attacks in Aden Follow Deadly Missile Strike

The Houthis also claimed responsibility for attacks against a naval base and military camp in Aden, the temporary headquarters of Yemen's internationally recognised government.

Saree said the group's forces had targeted Saudi military positions at the Al-Nasr camp and the naval base. Both installations were reportedly under Saudi supervision. The latest allegations followed a series of attacks in Aden earlier in October.

On 15 October, a missile struck the presidential palace complex, killing five people and injuring 16, according to Yemeni officials. Prime Minister Shaya al-Zindani and other government officials escaped injury, Al Jazeera reported.

The Houthis claimed they had targeted a Saudi military operations headquarters inside the complex. A day later, two missiles landed within the perimeter of Aden International Airport, according to Yemeni authorities.

The projectiles reportedly landed approximately 500 metres from an aircraft preparing to depart for Cairo. No casualties were reported.

These incidents illustrate the risks facing civilian aviation and government operations in Aden, although the precise circumstances of individual strikes require independent verification.

Saudi Airstrikes in Yemen Add to Civilian Casualty Concerns

Meanwhile, Saudi airstrikes reportedly struck Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, including Sanaa and surrounding districts.

The Houthis' Al-Masirah television channel reported that one strike hit a house in Sanaa, killing at least four people and injuring several others.

Another reportedly struck accommodation housing cement factory workers in Sanaa governorate, killing six women and a child. Three other people were reportedly injured.

The broadcaster also reported approximately 20 airstrikes around the coastal city of Mocha. These casualty reports came from Houthi-controlled media and had not been independently verified.

The fighting carries implications beyond Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Yanbu is an important Red Sea oil export hub, offering Saudi Arabia an alternative route for crude shipments amid disruption around the Strait of Hormuz.

Further south, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, making security along Yemen's coastline particularly important for international shipping.

In September, Houthi forces seized Mocha and advanced towards nearby islands, according to Yemeni government sources cited by Reuters.

Saudi-backed government forces subsequently launched a counteroffensive supported by Saudi air power. Fighting has continued around Taiz and along the Red Sea coast.

Saudi Arabia entered Yemen's civil war in 2015 to support the internationally recognised government after the Houthis seized Sanaa in 2014.

Although a UN-brokered truce reduced hostilities in 2022, renewed regional fighting has brought missile attacks, airstrikes and competing military claims back into focus.

The immediate questions remain whether the alleged strikes on Saudi energy facilities caused damage and whether further military operations will affect airports, oil shipments and civilians in Yemen.