Senior cleric: Houthi attacks on civilians with missiles and drones forbidden under Islamic law

Yemen's Houthi militia announced responsibility for a series of attacks on Saudi Arabia on Thursday, targeting airports, an oil facility, and the Defence Ministry headquarters, as the group intensified its strikes against the world's leading oil exporter. According to a statement from Houthi military spokesman Yehya Saree, the group launched four operations against Saudi Arabia within the last 48 hours, utilizing ballistic missiles and drones.

The assaults targeted Riyadh's Defence Ministry headquarters, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Abha airport in the southwest, and a facility operated by state oil giant Aramco in Yanbu. Saree's announcement came shortly after the Saudi-led military coalition claimed to have intercepted four drones over the Riyadh and Medina regions, though they reported no casualties or damage.

In a separate incident, two people were killed and eight others injured when an attack on Dammam airport on Wednesday evening caused material damage. Additionally, an intercepted Houthi drone resulted in the deaths of a Filipino and a Nepali national due to debris falling from the drone, which had targeted a processing facility at Aramco's Shaybah oil field.

Saudi air defenses successfully shot down the drone. The conflict in Yemen has escalated once more, with the broader war involving the US, Israel, and Iran.