Ground fighting in Yemen intensifies as 2 killed in drone strike on Saudi field

Two residents were killed in an attempted drone attack on Saudi energy giant Aramco's field, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday, while Yemen's Houthi group denied launching any attacks against Saudi territory during the day, reported Xinhua.

Citing the Saudi Ministry of Energy, the agency said Saudi air defenses intercepted the drone targeting a facility at Aramco's Shaybah field in the Eastern Province, but the incident caused a fire in a contractor's vehicle outside the facility without affecting operations.

The incident killed two residents, one of Filipino and one of Nepali nationality, and injured two others, one of Pakistani and one of Indian nationality, the ministry added.

In a series of statements, the Saudi-led coalition announced it had intercepted and destroyed seven drones launched toward various parts of Saudi Arabia, including four over Medina and the Eastern Province.

No details on casualties or damage were provided.

However, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea denied launching any attacks toward Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, rejecting the coalition's claim that drones had been intercepted over Medina as "false."

Sarea said Saudi warplanes had carried out 62 airstrikes over the previous 24 hours targeting Sanaa and the provinces of Marib, Saada, Lahj and Taiz, claiming civilian casualties, including women and children, without providing figures.

The figures could not be independently verified.

The developments came as the Houthis intensified attacks on the government-held southeastern province of Hadramout in Yemen.

A local security official told Xinhua that Houthi drones and ballistic missiles targeted the vicinity of the Al-Dhabba oil terminal near the coastal city of Al-Shihr and Al-Rayan International Airport in Mukalla, the provincial capital.

The attack on Al-Rayan came hours after four ballistic missiles struck the airport, triggering powerful explosions, according to the official.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Sarea claimed responsibility, saying the group targeted military equipment allegedly transported to Al-Rayan aboard Saudi military cargo aircraft, without providing evidence.

Earlier Wednesday, the Houthis said it had also launched a ballistic missile at what it described as a "Saudi military operations room" at Badr military base near Aden International Airport in the southern port city of Aden, where a powerful explosion shook surrounding neighborhoods, with no casualties immediately reported.

The persistent military escalation has drawn heightened diplomatic and security concern from regional and international powers.

The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia warned Wednesday that ongoing hostilities involving the Houthis could escalate rapidly beyond currently affected areas.

It required U.S. government employees working in Saudi Arabia to obtain special authorization from the chief of mission to use any airport in the kingdom following recent missile and drone attacks.

Meanwhile, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said Egypt's military efforts to defend Saudi Arabia would be limited to protecting the kingdom's territory and borders and would not involve attacking Yemen.

On Oct. 17, Sisi called on parliament to authorize possible military support for Saudi Arabia. The vote was postponed to Oct. 26.

Also on Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron landed in Riyadh in what the French media called "a surprise solidarity visit." Macron met with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to review strategic relations and regional developments.

His visit was part of a Gulf tour that also included Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar.

Yemen has been mired in conflict since late 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and much of the country's north. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 in support of the internationally recognized Yemeni government.

1 killed, 8 injured in attack targeting airport in Saudi's Dammam

Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation said on Thursday that one resident was killed and eight others were injured in an attack targeting King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on Wednesday evening.

The authority said in a statement that the injuries ranged from minor to critical, adding that the injured were immediately transported to hospital for medical care.

It added that the attack also caused property damage that is still being assessed, noting that further updates will be announced later.

Saudi Arabia discusses bilateral ties with France, Jordan

Saudi Arabia held separate high-level talks in Riyadh on Wednesday with the visiting French president and Jordanian foreign minister to review bilateral strategic ties and regional developments.

During a meeting between Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and French President Emmanuel Macron, the leaders reviewed historical and strategic relations between the two countries, existing areas of cooperation, and ways to strengthen them across various sectors in their mutual interests, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

They also exchanged views on regional and international developments and discussed coordination of efforts aimed at strengthening security and stability.

Also on Wednesday, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud met with Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi to discuss regional developments and bilateral relations, according to a statement by Jordan's Foreign Ministry.

During the talks, Safadi reaffirmed Jordan's solidarity with Saudi Arabia in confronting Houthi attacks, condemning the targeting of civilians and economic infrastructure as a flagrant violation of international law.

The two ministers discussed regional efforts to de-escalate tensions and contain their repercussions, stressing the importance of regional stability, non-interference and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

During the meeting, the two sides signed an amended protocol to a 2016 agreement establishing the Saudi-Jordanian Higher Coordination Council, a framework for institutional cooperation between the two countries.

The amended protocol updates the council's organizational structure and seeks to enhance its role in institutionalizing and expanding bilateral cooperation, according to the Jordan News Agency.