Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed on the 8th (local time) that they carried out massive retaliatory strikes targeting facilities of Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil company Aramco and air bases.

In a statement, the Houthi rebels announced, "We carried out a broad military operation targeting core facilities inside Saudi Arabia using dozens of ballistic missiles and drones."

The main targets specified by the Houthi rebels include Aramco oil refineries in Abha and Jizan, as well as air bases in Najran and Khamis Mushait.

The Houthi side claimed that their attacks accurately hit the targets and inflicted major damage on the facilities.

This attack appears to be in retaliation for the recent massive airstrikes launched by the Saudi-led coalition on key regions within Yemen.

The Houthi rebels denounced that "over the past three days, Saudi Arabia launched 121 ruthless airstrikes taking off from the Khamis Mushait and Taif air bases targeting Marib, Al-Bayda, Al-Hodeidah, Taiz, and Al-Jawf."

In particular, they claimed that the central prison in Al-Hazm, Al-Jawf province, was attacked, resulting in numerous casualties, including women and children who were visiting inmates.

Characterizing the Saudi attacks as an escalation for the interests of the United States and Israel, the Houthi rebels emphasized, "We will meet escalation with full-scale escalation."

Specifically, the Houthi rebels warned, "Until Saudi aggression stops and the blockade on Yemen is lifted, we will establish a response of 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth (a siege for a siege),'" adding that they will continue strikes targeting deep inside the Saudi mainland.

Previously, Saudi Arabia launched large-scale airstrikes and missile strikes on rebel strongholds across Yemen over the past few days to deter the Houthi rebels from attempting to seize control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea.

Amid the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in the wake of the US-Iran conflict, the two sides have been engaging in fierce battles over the control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which serves as Saudi Arabia's alternative oil export route.

Consequently, with more than 300 people killed over the past few days, the latest clash between the two sides is spiraling into the worst bloodshed since the collapse of the truce last July.

(Photo: Capture from Houthi rebel Telegram channel, Yonhap News)