Thick black smoke billowed high over Sanaa’s Al-Sabaha Central Station on October 13, 2026, after a reported Saudi airstrike struck a Yemen Petroleum Company facility in the Yemeni capital. Handheld video circulating from the scene captures a large, dense plume rising into the sky while people on motorcycles move through the foreground streets. The Saudi-led coalition had publicly urged civilians to evacuate the site before the attack, according to multiple reports. The strike targeted infrastructure linked to fuel distribution in the Houthi-controlled city, marking a sharp intensification of the long-running conflict. Local outlets including Al-Masirah confirmed the hit on the facility, while other regional media reported explosions heard across parts of Sanaa. The visual evidence of the smoke-filled skyline quickly spread, underscoring the immediate impact on a key energy site in the capital.

This incident forms part of a renewed cycle of escalation between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis. In response to the attack on the capital’s fuel infrastructure, Houthi officials issued threats to strike Saudi Aramco facilities, Riyadh’s airport, and a major refinery. The exchange of warnings and strikes highlights how quickly the conflict can expand beyond Yemen’s borders to threaten critical energy and aviation targets in the kingdom. Civilians in Sanaa faced sudden disruption as the smoke rose and authorities managed the aftermath of the strike. The coalition’s decision to issue an evacuation notice before the operation reflected an attempt to limit civilian harm, yet the resulting images of the burning facility have already fueled further rhetoric on both sides. As the smoke continues to mark the skyline, the episode raises fresh concerns about the stability of energy supplies and the risk of broader regional confrontation.