A coordinated wave of Houthi missile and drone attacks wounded 73 people across southern Saudi Arabia early Tuesday and forced authorities to suspend operations at several energy facilities as fighting in Yemen continues to intensify.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom.
A series of missile and drone attacks by Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthis wounded 73 people in southern Saudi Arabia early Tuesday and prompted the kingdom to halt operations at several energy facilities, Saudi authorities said.
The attacks struck areas around Abha, Jazan, Najran and Khamis Mushait, with Saudi officials accusing the Houthis of deliberately targeting civilian and economic infrastructure.
Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen, said the rebels had attacked “civilian and economic facilities” and pledged a forceful response.
The Saudi-led coalition “will take all necessary operational measures to deter the terrorist Houthi militia with utmost resolve,” al-Malki said.
Saudi Arabia subsequently suspended operations at several energy installations in the southern part of the country as officials assessed damage caused by the strikes.
The Houthis said their operation targeted Saudi Aramco facilities in Abha, Najran and Jazan using ballistic missiles and drones.
Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry confirmed that fires broke out at several locations following the attacks. Emergency crews were working to contain the fires, although the ministry did not publicly identify which facilities had been affected.
The strikes marked a significant escalation in renewed hostilities between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia after years of reduced fighting.
Tuesday’s attacks followed Houthi accusations that Saudi Arabia had carried out an attack on a prison in Yemen’s northern Jawf province.
The exchange comes amid several weeks of escalating combat between Houthi forces and troops aligned with Yemen’s Saudi-backed government.
That renewed fighting has effectively shattered a four-year truce that had substantially reduced hostilities in Yemen’s civil war.
The conflict has historically drawn in regional powers, with Saudi Arabia leading a coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally backed government and Iran providing support to the Houthis.
The latest cross-border attacks demonstrate that the renewed fighting is no longer confined to Yemen, with Saudi civilian areas and energy infrastructure again becoming targets.
Saudi authorities have not indicated how long the affected energy facilities will remain offline or whether the attacks will significantly disrupt production.
The coalition’s warning of further military measures also raised the prospect of additional retaliation as the breakdown of the truce pushes the conflict into another period of direct confrontation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.
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