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• The Yemeni army (Ansar Allah) advanced in the Jabal Arus area south of Taiz;
• The Yemeni army (Ansar Allah) advanced in the areas west of Lahij province;
• The Yemeni army (Ansar Allah) forces are reportedly attempting to outflank Saudi-backed forces around Bab al-Mandab through Al-Mudharabah district in Lahij province;
• On October 12, the Yemeni attacked King Khalid Airport in Riyadh, Khamis Mushait Air Base and Abha with missiles and drones.

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Illustrative image. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Katherine Walters)

A Saudi-led coalition carried out strikes on oil facilities west of Sanaa on October 13 after warning residents to evacuate the area.

The strikes followed an announcement by coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki urging civilians to leave the Yemen Petroleum Company’s Al-Sabaha Central Station and nearby storage areas ahead of a planned operation. Al-Maliki released a map identifying the area covered by the warning but did not specify the intended military objective.

The Saudi-led coalition appeared to be borrowing a tactic used by the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza and later in Lebanon and Iran, issuing mapped evacuation warnings before carrying out strikes in designated areas.

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Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said the targeted facility was “empty of petroleum derivatives and has no military value for targeting,” citing a source within the oil company.

The Yemen Petroleum Company separately said its storage facilities were empty and that the strike would not affect oil reserves or fuel supplies for residents. The facility lies on a hill overlooking western Sanaa, where a nearby fuel station is used by the public.

Before the strikes, Saree warned that any Saudi attack on Sanaa would be met with a “firm and painful” response in Riyadh. Following the attack, the Houthis threatened Saudi oil infrastructure, identifying Saudi Aramco’s headquarters in Dammam, an Aramco refinery in Riyadh and King Khalid International Airport as potential targets.

The spokesman described Aramco facilities as “legitimate targets” and urged workers and civilians to stay away from them.

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The escalation comes after a series of Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, including a deadly attack on Riyadh’s international airport on October 10 that killed at least 13 people and injured more than 300.

The attacks have disrupted aviation and heightened pressure on Saudi authorities to strengthen the kingdom’s air defenses.

The latest exchange adds to the widening conflict between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition, which supports forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government. The Houthis will certainly execute their threat and respond with full force, possibly within hours.

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The Houthis (Ansar Allah) advanced on multiple fronts in southwestern Yemen on October 13, tightening pressure on Saudi-backed forces around Taiz while threatening to outflank government-aligned troops defending their remaining positions near the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait.

In Taiz, Houthi fighters reached the city’s western entrance and captured the al-Hangar checkpoint, with footage showing their presence at the position.

The advances came as Houthi forces pushed south of the city, clearing the areas of Anbian and Wateer, as well as positions along the approaches to Taiz.

The latest gains threaten to further isolate Saudi-backed forces defending Taiz. The Houthis had already tightened their encirclement of the city after capturing Turbah, south of Taiz, on October 4, cutting off most supply routes from government-held territory.

The advance toward al-Hangar and the fighting south of the city put additional pressure on the remaining positions and routes connecting the city with areas held by the government.

Farther south, in neighboring Lahj province, Houthi forces reportedly cleared al-Sharjan, al-Ka’ala, Harazu and al-Khabakhib in the province’s western areas.

The advance adds pressure on Saudi-backed forces deployed along the approaches to Bab al-Mandab, where the Southern Giants Brigades have been fighting to regain territory lost to the Houthis.

The two fronts pose distinct but connected threats to the Saudi-backed deployment. Around Taiz, the Houthis are tightening their hold on the city and its surrounding approaches. In western Lahj, their advance threatens to outflank the Southern Giants Brigades and other government-aligned units near Bab al-Mandab and Kahbub, potentially cutting those units’ routes for reinforcement or retreat.

If the Houthi advance in western Lahj continues, Saudi-backed forces near the strait risk being isolated as the Houthis pressure the forces’ positions from the north and east.

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• On October 11, Ansar Allah forces captured Jabal Habashi and al-Misrakh in Taiz province;
• On October 11, Ansar Allah carried out missile and drone attacks on King Khalid Airport in Riyadh, King Fahd Airport in Dammam, and Aramco facilities at Shedgum and Tanajib;
• Fighting is ongoing near the Bab al-Mandab.

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File image.

The Houthis’ military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, announced on October 12 that the group had targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with a ballistic missile.

“By God’s grace and assistance, our armed forces targeted King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, this evening with a ballistic missile, and the hit was accurate,” Saree said in a statement.

He separately announced an attack on Khamis Mushait Air Base, saying the operation was carried out using a drone and that “the hit was direct.”

Saree also renewed a warning to international airlines and aviation personnel against operating flights to Saudi airports, declaring them unsafe except for airports and airspace serving the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The warning extended to experts, employees, workers and travelers from around the world.

The claims came as Saudi Arabia reported further incoming missile and drone threats during the day. Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, said air defenses had intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched toward Riyadh. The coalition also reported tracking drone and cruise-missile threats targeting the kingdom.

It was not immediately clear from the statement whether the interceptions involved the same missiles described by Saree or another attack.

The latest announcement follows a series of attacks on Saudi infrastructure in recent days. King Khalid International Airport remained closed on October 12 after a missile strike killed at least 13 people and wounded more than 300 last week.

Saudi Arabia has opened an investigation into how its air defenses failed to prevent that attack, with regional officials telling the AP that the Houthis had used multiple drones followed by cruise and ballistic missiles.

The escalation is unfolding as the Houthis continue in Yemen, mainly in the southwestern province of Taiz, with Saudi-backed forces failing to stop them.

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