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Saudi-led coalition strikes fuel depot near Yemen’s capital after Houthi airport attacks

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 12 outlets across the spectrum.

16 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Large black smoke and flames rise behind an airport terminal, with an aircraft and vehicles nearby.
Image via Al Jazeera EnglishHow images are chosenReport this image

Reports from outlets across the political spectrum describe a week of Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia. A strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday killed 13 people, according to the BBC, and NBC puts the total death toll from the attacks at at least 14. Saudi Arabia said it destroyed drones north of Riyadh. The Saudi-led coalition said it struck a fuel depot in Sanaa after warning civilians to leave the site, and it accused the Houthis of using the facility to fuel their war effort. Houthi media said the facility was hit before the coalition confirmed the strike. The Houthis have threatened to target Riyadh’s airport and Aramco facilities in retaliation.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports have killed at least 14 people, according to NBC News.

    One outletNBC News· Left

  2. A missile strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday killed 13 people, according to the BBC.

    One outletBBC News· Center

  3. The Saudi-led coalition said it struck a fuel depot near Sanaa after warning civilians to evacuate, and that the Houthis used the facility to fuel their war effort.

    Reported byLeft1Center2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The Guardian
    Center
    BBC News, France 24

  4. The Houthis have threatened to target Riyadh’s airport and Aramco facilities in retaliation.

    Reported byLeft2Center2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The New York Times, Al Jazeera English
    Center
    France 24, BBC News

  5. Saudi forces said they destroyed drones that attacked Riyadh.

    Reported byCenter1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Center
    BBC News
    Far Right
    Breitbart News

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • The Sanaa fuel depot was being used by the Houthis for their war effort.

    The Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Maj Gen Turki al-Maliki said the Houthis used the Yemen Petroleum Company’s al-Sabaha facility to fuel their war effort. The Yemeni Oil Company said its storage facilities were empty at the time of the attack.

  • The Sanaa facility was attacked by Saudi Arabia.

    Houthi media reported the attack before the coalition confirmed it. The coalition said it carried out a strike on the fuel depot after warning civilians to evacuate.

How each side tells it

Compare views

Every side reports Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia and a Saudi-led strike on a fuel depot near Sanaa. Left and center outlets stress the coalition strike and Houthi threats to retaliate, while right outlets focus on the continuing attacks on Saudi Arabia.

  • the left

    5 outlets

    Left outlets lead with Saudi strikes on Houthi energy sites and the escalation of the conflict, while NBC frames Saudi air defenses as failing against the Houthi attacks.

    Saudi Arabia strikes strategic oil depots near Yemen capital
    The GuardianLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    4 outlets

    Center outlets report the coalition strike and Houthi threats in neutral terms, with DW asking whether a Saudi-led offensive can succeed and CNBC focusing on aviation disruption.

    Saudi coalition strikes fuel depot near Yemen's capital
    BBC NewsCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    3 outlets

    Right outlets stress new Houthi missile and drone strikes and their deadly toll on Saudi Arabia, and Breitbart goes further by calling the Houthis terrorists in its description.

    Saudi Arabia faces new missile, drone strikes after deadly Houthi airport attacks
    New York PostRightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left2

    strike fear into the local populationhelpless

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right5

    Houthi terroristsonslaughthorrifying missile attackBombs Fly over Riyadh

In the outlets’ own words

  • Delegitimizing label

    Houthi terroristsMore neutral: Houthi forces

    The outlet applies a terrorist label to the group in its own voice, while other outlets use Houthis or Houthi forces.

    …armed drones attacked Riyadh on Tuesday, presumably deployed by the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists of Yemen and intending to target civilians in the national capital.

    Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    onslaughtMore neutral: series of attacks

    The word adds drama to a set of attacks that the article describes in other terms elsewhere.

    The attack nonetheless continued an onslaught of attempted Houthi bombings of Saudi civilian sites that has persisted for much of…

    Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    horrifying missile attackMore neutral: deadly missile attack

    The adjective states a judgement the facts do not need; the death toll and damage already carry the weight.

    …that has persisted for much of the past month, so far peaking with the horrifying missile attack on King Khalid International Airport on Saturday.

    Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    Bombs Fly over RiyadhMore neutral: Drones target Riyadh

    The drones were reported destroyed before causing damage, so the word bombs overstates what happened.

    Bombs Fly over Riyadh as Houthi Assault on Saudi Arabia Continues

    Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

Show 3 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Sensational language

    Houthi AssaultMore neutral: Houthi attacks

    Assault dramatizes a series of attacks that the article itself describes as mostly intercepted.

    Bombs Fly over Riyadh as Houthi Assault on Saudi Arabia Continues

    Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    strike fear into the local populationMore neutral: warned civilians to leave the area before the attack

    The sentence asserts an intent to frighten civilians as fact, which the reporting does not establish.

    …warned civilians to leave the target area, in an apparent attempt to strike fear into the local population ahead of the biggest attack so far on Houthi energy infrastructure.

    Used byThe Guardian (Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    helplessMore neutral: has struggled to stop

    The word judges Saudi Arabia’s military position as a whole rather than describing specific failures.

    But in recent days it has appeared helpless in the face of barrages of missiles and drones fired by the Houthi rebel group from…

    Used byNBC News (Left)

Words quoted from someone else (1)Hide the quoted words

Loaded words that outlets reported someone else saying. They show what was said, not how the outlet chose to say it.

  • Delegitimizing label

    Quoted

    Saudi aggressionMore neutral: Saudi strike

    The phrase presents the Saudi strike as unprovoked aggression, a judgement the reporting does not make in its own voice.

    …an explosion, while a breaking news alert on the Houthis' Al-Masirah TV said "Saudi aggression targets the oil company in Al-Sabaha, west of Sanaa".

    Quoted byFrance 24 (Center)

    These are Al-Masirah TV’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

5 outlets

Leads with

  • Saudi strikes on Sanaa oil facilities
  • Civilian evacuation warnings
  • Saudi air defenses failing
  • Houthi threats to Aramco

Leaves out

  • Coalition accusation that the depot was used to fuel Houthi operations

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 5 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

4 outlets

Leads with

  • Coalition strike on fuel depot
  • Houthi threats to retaliate
  • Disruption to air travel
See the 4 headlines from the centerHide the headlines
  • BBC NewsCenter

    Saudi coalition strikes fuel depot near Yemen's capital

    The Houthis have warned Saudi Arabia that they will retaliate by targeting the Saudi cities of Riyadh and Dammam.

    Read at BBC News (opens in a new tab)
  • CNBCCenter

    Airport attacks put aviation in crosshairs of geopolitical conflicts

    Deadly attacks at Riyadh’s main airport are disrupting airlines, closing airspace and raising new security questions for commercial aviation.

    Read at CNBC (opens in a new tab)
  • Deutsche WelleCenter

    Saudi Arabia's military struggle against Houthi attacks

    Houthi attacks on airports and energy facilities are putting Saudi Arabia under pressure. Could a Saudi-led international military offensive succeed against the Iran-aligned Houthi militia in Yemen?

    Read at Deutsche Welle (opens in a new tab)
  • France 24Center

    Oil facility near Yemen capital Sanaa hit by Saudi Arabia, Houthis say

    Houthi media reported an attack by Saudi Arabia on ⁠the Yemen Oil Company ⁠in Sanaa on Tuesday, which came shortly after the Saudi-led coalition ordered the evacuation of the facility ahead of a military operation. …

    Read at France 24 (opens in a new tab)

From the right

3 outlets

Leads with

  • New Houthi missile and drone strikes
  • Deadly airport attacks
  • Continuing attacks on Saudi cities

Leaves out

  • Saudi-led coalition strike on the Sanaa fuel depot
  • Evacuation warning issued before the Sanaa strike

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 3 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • Breitbart NewsFar Right

    Sensational language“Bombs Fly over Riyadh”The drones were reported destroyed before causing damage, so the word bombs overstates what happened.More neutral: Drones target RiyadhDisagree with this highlight? as Sensational language“Houthi Assault”Assault dramatizes a series of attacks that the article itself describes as mostly intercepted.More neutral: Houthi attacksDisagree with this highlight? on Saudi Arabia Continues

    The armed forces of Saudi Arabia confirmed that armed drones attacked Riyadh on Tuesday, presumably deployed by the Iran-backed Delegitimizing label“Houthi terrorists”The outlet applies a terrorist label to the group in its own voice, while other outlets use Houthis or Houthi forces.More neutral: Houthi forcesDisagree with this highlight? of Yemen and intending to target civilians in the national capital. …

    Read at Breitbart News (opens in a new tab)
  • The Washington TimesRight

    Houthi attacks on Saudi airports continue, marking major escalation in Yemen war

    Iran-backed Houthi militants fired missiles and drones into Saudi Arabian territory on Monday, according to Saudi-coalition forces in Yemen.

    Read at The Washington Times (opens in a new tab)
  • New York PostRight

    Saudi Arabia faces new missile, drone strikes after deadly Houthi airport attacks

    Saudi Arabia is facing a series of new missile and drone strikes on Monday following a deadly weekend strike on its main airport, which has kept the skies over the country clear of air travel.

    Read at New York Post (opens in a new tab)

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    First to report

    Bloomberg, Oct 12, 8:57 AM EDT

  • Center

    1 day 1 hr later

    Its first report, Oct 13, 10:53 AM EDT

  • Right

    4 hr 58 min later

    Its first report, Oct 12, 1:55 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. BloombergLeftOct 12, 8:57 AM EDT
  2. New York PostRightOct 12, 1:55 PM EDT
  3. The Washington TimesRightOct 12, 3:32 PM EDT
  4. The New York TimesLeftOct 13, 10:07 AM EDT
  5. France 24CenterOct 13, 10:53 AM EDT
  6. Breitbart NewsFar RightOct 13, 10:55 AM EDT
  7. Al Jazeera EnglishLeftOct 13, 11:01 AM EDT
  8. Deutsche WelleCenterOct 13, 12:11 PM EDT
  9. The GuardianLeftOct 13, 1:26 PM EDT
  10. NBC NewsLeftOct 13, 1:55 PM EDT
  11. CNBCCenterOct 13, 2:33 PM EDT
  12. BBC NewsCenterOct 13, 2:55 PM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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