Houthis claim strikes on Ras Tanura refinery and Saudi Defence Ministry in Riyadh; coalition says it downed two ballistic missiles aimed at the capital

Yemen’s Houthis have announced a series of attacks on Saudi Arabia. Their military spokesman Yahya Saree announced on Tuesday, October 27 consecutive ballistic missile strikes on energy and military targets, the last on the Defence Ministry in Riyadh, claiming that the missile hit its target directly. On the Saudi side, the Saudi-led coalition said it destroyed two ballistic missiles heading for the capital. The Houthi claims have not been independently confirmed.

Three announcements within a few hours

The first Houthi announcement came shortly after 13:00 Greek time and concerned the Ras Tanura refinery in the Eastern Province. The movement claims the ballistic missile caused large fires at the facilities. Bloomberg, citing a source, reported that a fire broke out on Tuesday morning in the Aramco facilities area at Ras Tanura, with the extent of the damage unclear.

Shortly after 15:00, Saree announced that two ballistic missiles targeted two military transport aircraft, one at Najran airport and the other at King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait, and that both operations hit their targets. Earlier, Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense had activated alarms in Najran, Abha and Khamis Mushait. At 15:48 came the claim about the Defence Ministry.

Explosions and alerts in Riyadh

The coalition spokesman, Brig. Gen. Turki al-Maliki, wrote on X that air defences intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched toward Riyadh. AFP reported explosions in Riyadh, while Saudi media spoke of an alert in the city. Civil Defense activated the national early-warning system at 13:37 Greek time in the Al-Kharj governorate and at 13:49 announced that the danger had passed from Riyadh city and a minute later from Al-Kharj and Al-Hariq. In a separate post it warned that photographing or circulating information about missile and drone interceptions and their impact sites carries legal consequences.

Earlier the same day the coalition had announced the interception of three ballistic missiles toward the Eastern Province and four drones toward the southern region. The Houthis also claim they repelled an attempt by Saudi-backed forces to advance from the southern side of Bab el-Mandeb, while their media report Saudi air strikes on Perim island and on the Haradh area of Hajjah.

The escalation comes a day after Egypt’s parliament authorised Sisi to support Saudi Arabia militarily. In previous days the Houthis claimed strikes on pumping stations of the East-West pipeline and on Riyadh airport, as Geopolitiki reported, while debris from ballistic missiles fell in Mecca.