Yemeni Forces Strike Saudi Aramco Refinery in Jizan with Drone

Yemen's armed forces announced on Sunday that they had targeted a Saudi Aramco refinery in the Jizan region with a drone, describing the strike as precise and successful. The operation was carried out in response to what they called Saudi drone violations of Yemeni airspace over the provinces of Saada and Hajjah.

Military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree said in a statement that the drone accurately and successfully hit the facility. He described the operation as retaliation for "provocative actions" by Saudi Arabia, which he said had flown reconnaissance and spy drones over northern Yemen in recent days.

The strike is part of ongoing tensions between Yemen's Houthi-aligned forces and the Saudi-led coalition, which has been involved in the Yemeni conflict since 2015. The Houthi forces have frequently launched drone and missile attacks on Saudi territory, particularly targeting oil infrastructure and airports.

The Saudi-led coalition has not yet commented on the reported strike. The incident is likely to escalate further the already high tensions in the region, which have seen repeated attacks on Saudi oil facilities, including the major attack on Aramco's Abqaiq and Khurais facilities in 2019.

According to Mehr News, the Yemeni forces' statement did not provide details on the extent of damage or any casualties. The report by Mehr News added that the strike was described as a direct response to Saudi reconnaissance flights over Yemeni territory.