Yemen’s armed forces say they have carried out a missile and drone attack on facilities of Saudi Arabia’s state-controlled oil company in Riyadh in response to intensified Saudi attacks on Sana’a and other Yemeni provinces.

Spokesman for the Yemeni armed forces Brigadier General Yahya Saree said on Sunday that the strike successfully achieved its objectives.

He added that direct, accurate hits struck the targeted sites, setting off fires.

He emphasized that the operation was launched in retaliation for 60 Saudi airstrikes and missile attacks on Sana'a and other Yemeni provinces over the previous 24 hours, bringing the total number of the enemy’s attacks since the escalation began to 1,410.

The new cycle of hostilities began in July, after Saudi Arabia bombed Sana’a’s airport. The Yemeni armed forces responded by launching drone and ballistic-missile attacks on Saudi military bases, ports and airports, while also targeting oil tankers in the Red Sea.

The Sana’a administration also declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia on July 20, in response to “an unfair and tyrannical siege” on Yemen lasting nearly 12 years.

In response to the latest Saudi aggression, Saree continued, the Yemeni armed forces carried out two qualitative military operations using several ballistic missiles and drones against Aramco facilities in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, and Aramco sites in the Khurais area.

The spokesman warned that continued attacks on Yemen would lead to further escalation and deterrent measures, which would carry a heavy cost for the aggressor.

Saree reiterated that the Yemeni armed forces would keep applying the approach of “blockade-for-blockade” and “escalation-for-escalation” and would continue targeting Saudi military mobilization until the attacks cease and the blockade on Yemen is lifted.

The operation came after a major surge in Saudi aggression against Yemen, including 60 airstrikes and missile attacks over the past 24 hours.

Saudi warplanes also struck Sana'a, along with attacks on other Yemeni provinces.

In March 2015, Saudi Arabia and its allies imposed a blockade on Yemen and launched a sweeping military offensive, backed by military, political, and logistical support from the United States and several Western countries.

The war has killed tens of thousands of Yemenis. However, Saudi Arabia has failed to achieve its stated objective of reinstating a puppet regime that serves its interests.

Yemeni forces thwart Saudi-backed push in al-Jawf

Saree also said on Sunday that the armed forces repelled an attempt by Saudi-backed forces to advance toward their positions in the eastern part of al-Jawf Province, destroying military equipment and inflicting casualties on the attackers.

He added that a number of military vehicles belonging to the Saudi-backed forces were destroyed during the operation, while dozens of their fighters were killed or wounded.

The spokesman said that the remaining forces were pursued in the al-Jawf desert, while gatherings of Saudi-backed fighters were targeted with ballistic missiles and drones.

He also praised the residents of al-Jawf and Ma’rib for standing alongside the Yemeni people and supporting the armed forces in confronting the Saudi-backed groups.