Ansarullah statement on Aramco facility and air base

The Ansarullah movement in Yemen announced that it has conducted two separate military operations against Saudi Arabia. The movement's military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, announced that in one of the attacks, Aramco facilities located in the city of Yanbu on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast were targeted, while in the other, the Khamis Mushait Air Base in the southwest of the country was targeted.

In a statement on Wednesday, Saree said that dozens of ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were used in the operation in Yanbu. The Ansarullah spokesperson claimed that the missiles and drones hit their targets "directly and accurately," alleging that "large fires and widespread destruction" occurred at the facility.

It was stated that several ballistic missiles were used in the operation against the air base in Khamis Mushait. Saree stated that the attacks were a response to the airstrikes Saudi Arabia has carried out on Yemen in recent days. According to Ansarullah, Riyadh has conducted more than 450 airstrikes on different regions of Yemen during the week.

RED SEA ROUTE GAINS PROMINENCE

The announcement of the attack on Yanbu comes at a time when the impact of the conflict in the region on energy shipments and maritime trade is increasing. Yanbu, on the Red Sea coast, is among Saudi Arabia's primary oil export hubs.

Due to tensions around the Strait of Hormuz and disruptions in maritime traffic, the importance of the Red Sea route has increased even further in recent times. During this process, it was reported that Saudi Arabia suspended crude oil loadings in Yanbu and canceled some European shipments. It is reported that following the drone attacks on its oil infrastructure, Riyadh has begun providing more crude oil to its Asian customers via ship-to-ship transfers off the coast of Oman's Sohar port.

Tensions in the region have escalated in recent days with mutual statements. The Saudi-led coalition reported that a drone belonging to Ansarullah was shot down by air defense systems south of Mecca. While Riyadh argued that the drone was heading toward Mecca's restricted airspace, Ansarullah denied the claim that it was targeting holy cities, stating that its targets were military facilities and oil infrastructure.

Ansarullah's expansion of its control in some regions on Yemen's Red Sea coast and its presence around the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait are of strategic importance for Saudi Arabia. For Riyadh, which directs a portion of its oil exports to the Red Sea line, the security of Yanbu and the surrounding maritime routes are among the critical issues.

News Source: 12punto