Yemeni Forces Encircle Aden and Strike Saudi Oil Sites
Yemen's Armed Forces completed the encirclement of Aden Province and launched missile strikes against Saudi Arabian oil facilities and airports in retaliation for a long-term blockade.
The Yemeni Armed Forces completed the encirclement of Aden Province on Friday after advancing against Saudi-backed militants south of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The offensive included six strikes on Saudi troop concentrations at Kharaz Camp and other positions in Lahij Province, resulting in dozens of casualties. Yemeni forces have now reached the coastal strip connecting Aden to Lahij, prompting demands for the surrender of militants in al-Suqiya and Ras al-Ara.
Simultaneously, Yemen launched six drone and missile operations targeting strategic sites within Saudi Arabia. These strikes hit King Khalid International Airport and Aramco facilities in Riyadh, the Khurais oil field, and National Guard troop concentrations in Najran. Brigadier General Yahya Saree stated these operations respond to a decade of Saudi-led war and blockade, vowing that Saudi Arabia will "pay a heavy price for every crime and act of aggression."
In response, Saudi fighter jets conducted dozens of airstrikes across Sana’a, Lahij, Ta’izz, Hudaydah, and Sa’ada, hitting civilian targets including a gas station. Meanwhile, Houthi forces launched ballistic missiles at civilians and infrastructure in Aden. Col. Majed Abdullah al-Nuzaili of the Yemeni army condemned the strikes as a "serious escalation," asserting that "every attack on the Yemeni people and their security will have consequences."
The conflict has caused significant instability among Saudi-backed forces, with reports of high-ranking officials departing the frontline. The United Nations reports that the escalating violence has displaced over 333,000 people across Yemen since August.
