SANAA, Oct 27 — Yemen’s Houthis today said they targeted Saudi Arabia’s biggest oil refinery with a ballistic missile, following weeks of disruptive attacks against the world’s top crude exporter.

“The Yemeni Armed Forces were able to target the Ras Tanura refinery in the Eastern Province with a ballistic missile,” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree posted on X, saying the strike caused “massive fires”.

A resident in the nearby city of Al Khobar told AFP he heard explosions around dawn and received a text message alert.

“We got the alert on the mobile and then heard a very loud bang,” the resident said.

The Ras Tanura facility along Saudi Arabia’s eastern Gulf coast is home to one of the largest refineries in the Middle East and a cornerstone of the kingdom’s energy sector.

The complex has a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day. It has been repeatedly targeted by Iranian strikes, including a drone attack in early March that forced a partial shutdown of the refinery. — AFP