Houthis claim drone attack on Aramco facility in southern Saudi Arabia

Yemen's Houthi forces carried out a drone attack on a Saudi Aramco facility in Najran and launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at the Red Sea port city of al-Makha (Mocha) on Friday, killing at least six people in what marks a sharp escalation of hostilities between the Iran-aligned group and Saudi-backed forces.

Aramco Facility Targeted

The Houthi-run Saba news agency, citing a military source, said the group targeted "Aramco Najran" with a drone and that the operation "successfully achieved its objective." The group said the strike was in response to Saudi military aircraft entering airspace over the northeastern part of Yemen's Saada governorate, which it described as a violation of sovereignty. Saudi authorities and Aramco had not issued any statement on the claim at the time of reporting, and no information was available on damage or casualties.dailysabah+2

The attack came just days after another Houthi strike on Najran on August 6 injured 11 civilians, including seven Saudi nationals, and followed a claimed attack on an Aramco refinery in Jazan on August 14 using two drones.aljazeera+1

Deadly Strikes on Mocha

Separately, Houthi forces fired six ballistic missiles at al-Makha, a port city on Yemen's western coast administered by the internationally recognized government. Yemen's government said the strikes targeted civilian infrastructure and the port, killing at least four civilians and setting fishing boats ablaze. A military official told AFP the death toll reached at least eight, including two security personnel. Israel National News, citing news agencies, reported six dead.israelnationalnews+1

Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree said the strikes destroyed "boats and weapons" and caused "the death and injury of dozens among the Saudi enemy's concentrations."abna24

Wider Escalation

The attacks form part of a broader offensive that began after the Houthis declared a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia on July 20, citing a years-long Saudi siege on Houthi-held areas. Since then, the group has claimed strikes on Saudi tankers, energy facilities, and airports.english.news

In an interview with ITV News, senior Houthi political official Mohammed al-Bukhaiti threatened further escalation. "We will teach Saudi Arabia a lesson," he said. "The blockade will continue to intensify until all Saudi ports and airports have been successfully closed."itv

Saudi Arabia recently announced a multinational maritime defense coalition to safeguard navigation in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, including the United States, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan, and several other nations. The escalation comes as US-Iran diplomacy remains stalled, with regional tensions heightened by the broader conflict.aljazeera+1