al-Jawf

The journey from Sana’a to the far northeastern stretches of al-Jawf through the Empty Quarter is an arduous affair. A veritable no man’s land, the region has long-enjoyed the dubious distinction of hosting strongholds of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), a group that evolved and blossomed under the sponsorship of nearby Saudi Arabia. The journey crisscrosses what seems like endless valleys of identical dunes with little more than the blazing sun to provide a semblance of direction.

Al-JAWF, YEMEN — Yemen’s Houthi-allied armed forces launched an attack on vital facilities belonging to Saudi Aramco inside the Kingdom’s western province of Madinah, situated about 165 kilometers west of the city of Medina. The attack took place on Friday and involved the launching of both missiles ballistic missiles and drones. It came in retaliation for deadly Saudi attacks against the al-Jawf Province in Yemen last Friday.