Houthis attack civilian, energy sites in Saudi

Saudi Arabia has accused Yemen's Houthi rebels of carrying out attacks on civilian and industrial targets within its borders, resulting in at least 73 civilian injuries, comprising both men and women. These incidents occurred amidst escalating conflict in Yemen, where a Saudi-backed government, recognized internationally, is battling Houthi forces who are backed by Iran.

Major-General Turki Al-Maliki, a spokesperson for the Saudi coalition, announced that the Houthi assaults targeted civilian and economic sites in the provinces of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jizan, and Najran. The general characterized these strikes as a "dangerous escalation" and a "flagrant breach" of Saudi sovereignty, emphasizing the potential danger to the kingdom's citizens and residents.

He pledged that the coalition would employ all necessary actions to counter the attacks and address the threat. Meanwhile, the Saudi Ministry of Energy reported that multiple "energy facilities and installations" in the southern regions of the country were struck, causing injuries to civilians, igniting fires, and temporarily ceasing some operations.

Riyadh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs vowed to "take all necessary measures to defend its sovereignty" and demanded an immediate cessation of Houthi attacks. Russia, through a conversation between its Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, criticized the Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia as counterproductive and detrimental to the global economy, stressing that resolving disputes through military force is unacceptable.

The Houthi group responded by stating that their attacks were retaliation for over 120 Saudi strikes on Yemen in the past three days. They claimed their forces executed a large-scale, long-range operation using numerous ballistic missiles and drones. Additionally, Houthi-linked media accused Saudi Arabia of conducting a series of raids in Taiz province, specifically in the Al-Waziyah district.