At least 73 civilians, including women and children, were injured in Houthi attacks targeting southern Saudi Arabia, according to the Saudi-led coalition.
The strikes hit civilian and economic facilities in Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran, prompting Riyadh to warn of a strong response.
Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Major General Turki al-Maliki said on Tuesday that the Houthis carried out what he described as “senseless attacks” against civilian and economic sites in the four southern cities.
The attacks targeted Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran, although al-Maliki did not specify exactly when the strikes took place. The coalition said 73 civilians were wounded, with women and children among those injured.
Al-Maliki described the attacks as a “dangerous escalation” and a “blatant violation” of Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty. He said the strikes posed a direct threat to the safety and security of Saudi citizens and residents.
Saudi coalition vows response
Al-Maliki accused the Houthis of aggressive, irresponsible and criminal behavior, saying the attacks were aimed at damaging Saudi Arabia’s national assets as well as civilian and economic facilities.
He warned that the Houthi actions undermine ongoing efforts to achieve peace and stability in Yemen and neighboring Arab countries.
The spokesperson said the Joint Forces Command of the Saudi-led coalition would take “all necessary operational measures” to deter further attacks and confront what he called the group’s hostile approach.
The coalition also said it would take all necessary measures to respond to the sources of the threat and neutralize the danger posed by the attacks.
Houthi response
Nasr al-Din Amer, a member of the Iran-backed Houthi group’s politburo, said on Telegram that the group’s ongoing response was much broader than what was being circulated on social media. He said the response was continuing and claimed it was taking place at a deeper level than publicly reported.
The Houthis have previously carried out cross-border attacks against Saudi Arabia, although the latest strikes come amid a wider escalation in Yemen.
The latest Saudi coalition statement comes as fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces has sharply intensified across several provinces in Yemen.
The renewed clashes have raised concerns over a broader deterioration in the conflict after years of relative calm along the Saudi-Yemeni border.
Saudi Arabia had largely avoided direct confrontation with the Houthis during the wider US-Iran conflict, but the group launched missile attacks against the kingdom in July, ending a four-year de facto ceasefire between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia.
Houthis accuse Saudi Arabia of air strike
The escalation has also been accompanied by accusations from the Houthi side against Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out an air strike on a detention facility in al-Hazm, in Yemen’s al-Jawf province. They said the attack killed seven people, including a child, and wounded at least seven others.
Saudi Arabia had not commented on the allegation at the time of the report.
The latest developments mark another significant escalation in the long-running Yemen conflict, with cross-border attacks, renewed fighting and competing accusations threatening efforts to restore peace and stability in Yemen and the wider region.
