The coalition’s airstrike on the Yemen Petroleum Company in Al‑Sabaha, west of Sanaa, erupted at 09:12 local time, sending a dense black plume of smoke into the capital’s skyline—videos of the blaze went viral within minutes.
The strike came hours after Riyadh‑led forces issued the first evacuation order for the area since the recent flare‑up of hostilities; the order urged civilians to leave the oil facility and surrounding storage sites ahead of a possible attack.
Houthi‑affiliated Al‑Masirah TV blasted the attack as "Saudi aggression," while the rebels’ military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, threatened that any Saudi assault on Sanaa would be met with a "firm and painful" response, specifically naming Riyadh’s international airport, a refinery, and an Aramco facility in Dammam as potential targets.
The Yemen Petroleum Company said the blast would not affect its reserves or civilian supplies, asserting that petroleum stocks remained secure in safe facilities and in sufficient quantities to meet demand for an extended period.
This escalation follows a recent missile strike on Riyadh’s airport that killed 13 people, including an Indian national, forcing the airport to suspend operations and prompting travel warnings from several countries.
Saudi officials have not yet confirmed the strike, but the Houthi threat signals a sharp uptick in risk of a retaliatory strike on Riyadh’s key infrastructure, heightening tensions across the Gulf region.