Yemeni military spokesman Yahya Saree warns that Saudi energy and aviation facilities could face retaliation, following an airstrike on an oil facility west of Sana’a.

SANA’A -- Yemen’s armed forces warned Saudi Arabia on Tuesday that any attack on the capital Sana’a would be met with a “harsh and painful” response in Riyadh, declaring Saudi Aramco facilities and the kingdom’s airports “legitimate targets” and ordering civilians and employees near those sites to evacuate immediately.

The warning, issued by Ansarullah military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree in an official statement carried by Sana’a-based media, came shortly after Saudi Arabia threatened to strike targets in Sana’a and announced it would soon issue evacuation warnings to residents.

Saree said any “aggressive action” against the Yemeni capital “will not go unanswered,” and that Yemeni forces would respond “deep inside Saudi territory and in the kingdom’s capital.”

Saudi Arabia, in a continuation of systematic attacks on civilian and vital infrastructure, published a warning map and demanded the immediate evacuation of the Yemen Petroleum Company’s central Al-Sabahah station in Bani Matar district, west of Sana’a.

Saudi warplanes then bombed the Al-Sabahah oil facility in western Sanaa on Tuesday afternoon. A responsible source at the Yemen Petroleum Company, speaking to Sana’a media, stressed that the targeted facility contained no petroleum products and had “no military value whatsoever.”

The Yemen Petroleum Company issued a statement reassuring citizens about the stability of fuel supply, confirming that all necessary precautionary measures had been taken in advance to confront any scenario.

“All measures and precautions necessary to guarantee the stability of the fuel supply situation in the free areas and to continue meeting citizens’ needs normally have been taken in advance,” the statement said.

The company emphasized that strategic reserves are stored in safe locations and that fuel distribution continues without interruption.

In a follow-up warning, Saree issued an urgent alert to all workers and citizens living near Aramco facilities, stating: “All employees, staff, and civilians present near any facility affiliated with the Aramco oil company must immediately evacuate these locations.”

He warned that the facilities, “due to their role in supporting the aggressor coalition, are considered legitimate targets for the operations of the Yemeni armed forces.”

Saree specifically identified the Aramco headquarters in Dammam, King Khalid Airport in Riyadh, and the Aramco oil refinery in Riyadh as within reach of Yemen’s “legitimate response.”

He also renewed warnings to all airlines and travelers to avoid Saudi airports and airspace, stating that “all Saudi airports and airspace are within the range of our forces’ strikes and theater of operations,” with the exception of airports and airspace in the holy areas of Mecca and Medina.

The spokesman reaffirmed that Yemeni forces would continue to apply their declared equation: “airport for airport, blockade for blockade, and escalation for escalation, until our objectives are achieved.”

Yemeni air defenses shot down a Saudi Wing Loong II armed reconnaissance drone over Saada province at dawn on Tuesday. Saree confirmed the downing in a statement, saying the drone was targeted "with an appropriate weapon" while carrying out "hostile missions".

Some reports also indicate a second drone was downed over Bani Matar in Sana’a governorate on the same day, with footage circulating online of wreckage identified by open-source analysts as a Wing Loong II. 

Saree also announced that Yemeni air defense units had confronted Saudi aircraft violating Sanaa’s airspace.

In his statement, he said Yemeni armed forces “are confronting, in a comprehensive manner, the formations and combat units of the Saudi enemy.” Sources reported that Yemeni air defenses engaged Saudi warplanes over the capital, forcing them to withdraw.

Al-Malki claimed that Saudi forces had intercepted three drones north of Riyadh. Saree, however, said Yemeni forces had struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with a ballistic missile and targeted Khamis Mushait Air Base with a drone, saying both achieved precise hits.

Yemeni military media released footage showing the liberation of Jabal Habashi district, the Al-Bireen triangle, and Yafrus junction in Ta’izz province, southwestern Yemen. The footage showed close-range clashes, raids on military positions, sniper operations, and the use of machine guns and artillery as Yemeni forces drove Saudi mercenaries from the areas.

In Lahij province, Yemeni forces reported thwarting several attempts by Saudi-backed military buildups to advance toward the Bab al-Mandab Strait, forcing them to withdraw and retreat without making progress.

Field sources reported intense battles concentrated on the Al-Aghbara, Al-Mansoura, and Al-Muhawala fronts, approximately 48 kilometers east of Bab al-Mandab, after Yemeni forces attacked Giants Brigade positions stationed there since Sunday.

The Giants Brigade said it had reinforced the Al-Mudaribah front in Lahij to counter Yemeni advances toward the strategic Jabal Hawab.

In Ma’rib province, Yemeni forces and Saudi mercenaries engaged in fierce battles from early morning Tuesday, with both sides releasing footage showing missile strikes, gunfire, and burning vehicles.  

Saree said Saudi Arabia conducted 119 airstrikes and missile attacks over the previous 24 hours targeting Sanaa and the provinces of Al-Jawf, Ta’izz, Sa’ada, Ma’rib, Lahij, Al-Bayda, and Ibb.

The strikes involved F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets launched from Khamis Mushait and Taif airbases, with missiles fired from the border regions of Najran and Jizan. He said the strikes killed and wounded civilians including women and children, and said total Saudi airstrikes since the escalation began have reached 2,177.

Saudi warplanes also bombed the Dhi Al-Barh communication line between Sabr al-Mawadim and Al-Masrakh districts in Ta’izz, and struck the Maran area southwest of Sa’ada province in northern Yemen, along with communication networks in the border district of Ghamr west of Sa’ada, according to the Saba news agency.

The strikes on Saudi airports triggered widespread flight disruptions. Jordan’s national carrier announced it was extending the suspension of flights to King Khalid Airport in Riyadh and King Fahd Airport in Dammam, following similar moves by the UAE.

Saudi authorities extended the closure of Riyadh’s international airport until Saturday, with the General Authority of Civil Aviation saying operations were suspended to allow time to complete safety and operational readiness measures. The decision followed Yemeni missile and drone attacks on the kingdom.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry expressed deep concern Tuesday over the impact of escalating developments in Bab al-Mandab and the Red Sea on Suez Canal revenues, while revealing that Egypt is seriously considering joining the Mecca Pact, a security agreement currently including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey.