Kathmandu— The Houthi group claimed responsibility for a drone strike targeting a Saudi Aramco refinery in Jazan on Sunday, asserting the operation resulted in a precise strike. The attack occurred shortly after Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Energy reported a fire at one of the facility's sites, though officials confirmed that industrial security teams extinguished the blaze and no injuries were reported.

Retaliation for Airspace Incursions

Houthi military spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree stated the strike was a direct response to Saudi drone incursions into the airspace over Yemen's Saada and Hajjah governorates. In a statement released via Telegram, Saree claimed the group had successfully targeted the Aramco refinery in Jazan with a drone.

This latest escalation follows previous claims by the Houthis in late July, when the group announced they had conducted ballistic missile and drone strikes against Aramco-affiliated facilities in both Jazan and Yanbu.

Strategic Infrastructure Under Threat

The Jazan facility, located in southwestern Saudi Arabia near the Yemeni border, serves as a critical hub for the Kingdom's energy infrastructure due to its integrated refinery and petrochemical complex. The vulnerability of such sites has become a recurring concern as Houthi activity in the Red Sea region intensifies.

Recent incidents include a reported attack on a gas facility in the Jubail region, which Israeli media attributed to the Houthis following reports of an explosion and fire at the industrial site. Jubail remains one of the Kingdom's most significant energy and petrochemical hubs.

Regional Defense and Escalating Tensions

The strike occurs against a backdrop of heightened regional instability and new military alignments. On Friday, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, a pact designed to strengthen collective deterrence and military cooperation among the three nations.

While the agreement does not detail specific operational commitments, its summit statement noted that any armed attack against one of the three states would be regarded as an attack against all of them. This move aims to bolster stability in West Asia amid mounting security threats.

The Houthis, who control large parts of northern Yemen, have previously threatened a naval blockade in the Red Sea, specifically along the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.

(With inputs from ANI)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.