A Saudi Arabian university came under Houthi attack on Thursday, resulting in a fire at the premises. Earlier Saudi Arabia said its air defense system intercepted the attack by Yemen's Houthi militia.
4 Bomb-Laden Drones and 5 Ballistic Missiles
The attack targeting the southern Saudi Arabian university happened between Wednesday evening and early Thursday. The Houthi militia, which has targeted southern Saudi installations several times in the recent past, launched four bomb-laden drones and five ballistic missiles towards the southern Saudi city of Jizan.
"One such attempt targeted the Jizan University. The interception and destruction process resulted in fall and scattering of shrapnel on the campus, causing a limited fire that was brought under control without civilian casualties," Saudi-UAE coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said, according to SPA news agency.
"The interception resulted in scattered debris on campus, which caused a limited fire that was contained," he added.
Meanwhile, a Houthi military spokesman claimed the group said the group launched 11 ballistic missiles and one drone targeting Aramco.
More Attacks
Late last month, a fuel tanker at an oil terminal on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea was set ablaze by the Houthi rebels of Yemen. Saudi Arabia's petroleum ministry confirmed the incident.
The missile from the drone hit an oil terminal in Jizan, a port on the Red Sea north of the Saudi-Yemen border. The tanker caught fire in the attack but no casualties were reported, the ministry said. Unverified videos that circulated online shewed tanker on fire.
The large oil facility in Jizan in southern Saudi Arabia was hit by Yemeni Houthi forces in missile and drone attacks in July 2020 as well. The vessel had loaded about 60,000 tonnes of gasoline, and was 84-percent full.
In November 2020 too, a mine attack blamed on Yemen's Houthi rebels had damaged an oil tanker off Red Sea port city. In December last year, a Saudi Arabian oil tanker off the coast of Jeddah was attacked by the Houthi rebels.
Rising Tensions
In June 2019, Middle East tensions had flared up after two tankers were attacked in the Gulf of Oman. Saudi Arabia had squarely blamed rival Iran for the attacks. The incident had come a month after four other tankers were attacked off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.
The Saudi coalition has been at war with the Yemeni rebels since 2015, when the Houthis challenged and removed the internationally accepted regime. Six years into the war, Riyadh launched a peace initiative last month. Under the terms of the proposed truce plan, there will be a nationwide ceasefire in Yemen, the Sana'a airport in the Al Houthi-held capital will be reopened and negotiations would begin between the Saudi-backed government and the Iran-allied rebels.
Last month, Saudi Arabia launched a peace initiative, proposing a UN-overseen nationwide ceasefire in Yemen, the reopening of Sana'a airport in the Al Houthi-held capital, and restarting negotiations between the Saudi-backed government and the Iran-allied rebels. The Yemeni government welcomed the initiative.
