Houthis launch missile attack on Saudi Arabia: Oil company Aramco's building damaged in Riyadh; Threatens retaliation after airstrike

A missile attack took place in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, on Sunday. Due to this, the building of the oil company Aramco has been damaged. The attack has been blamed on Yemen's Houthi rebels. The Saudi military said that 2 ballistic and 2 cruise missiles fired towards Riyadh have been intercepted. According to the Saudis, the Aramco building suffered minor damage. The Houthis have not claimed responsibility for the attack on the Aramco building at this time, but have vowed to retaliate after two consecutive airstrikes in Sanaa. Threat alert issued in Riyadh The Saudi Civil Defense issued an alert about a possible threat in Riyadh. In the video that surfaced on social media, the glass of the windows of several floors of the Aramco building can be seen broken. Some people also saw an ambulance coming to the scene. However, the Saudis say that no one was killed and no one was injured due to the attack. More than 60 people were killed in the air strikes in Yemen The news of Saudi Arabia's airstrikes in Yemen came a day before the missile attack on Riyadh. The Houthi rebels claimed that at least 33 people were killed in the attack near the capital Sanaa. Women and children were also among the dead. Earlier on November 6, a market in Yemen's Taiz province was also attacked, in which according to Houthi officials, 30 people were killed. The Houthi rebels also blamed Saudi Arabia for this. Houthi spokesman Mahdi al-Mashat on Saturday threatened Saudi Arabia with retaliation for attacks against the people of Yemen. The Houthis say they will continue to carry out missile and drone attacks on Saudi bases as long as Saudi Arabia continues to carry out air strikes and blockades on areas under their control. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Saudi Arabia spent about Rs 7.8 lakh crore on defense last year. It is among the top 10 countries in the world. Saudi Arabia has modern air defense systems like American fighter jets, Patriot and THAAD. Apart from this, it has also purchased weapons from France and Britain. Despite all this, it is becoming difficult for Saudi Arabia to protect its vast territory and important installations. It is threatened from three directions. Iran in the east, Iran-backed fighters active in Iraq in the north, and the Houthi rebels in Yemen in the south. The Houthis are now using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and long-range drones at the same time. This is increasing pressure on Saudi Arabia's air defense system. The Saudi army manages to intercept many missiles and drones, but some attacks penetrate its security system. More than 1,600 people have been killed in the conflict so far Fighting between the Houthi rebels and government forces in Yemen resumed in July. According to the United Nations, more than 1,600 people have been killed since then and more than 300,000 people have been forced to flee their homes. Saudi Arabia is supporting the Yemeni government's forces in this fight. Since July, it has also been carrying out air strikes on Houthi positions. In response, the Houthi rebels are also attacking Saudi Arabia. The conflict between the Saudis and the Houthis began in 2015. In Yemen, the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa in 2014. Then in 2015, Saudi Arabia, along with several countries, launched a military campaign against them. Saudi Arabia wanted Yemen's internationally recognized government to return to power and end the Houthis' occupation. Despite several years of airstrikes, the Saudi-led coalition has not been able to push back the Houthis completely. The Houthis still control a large part of Yemen. Tensions between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis continue to rise due to the conflict.