Houthis attack southern Saudi cities for second day, Saudi-led coalition says
The Houthis attacked the southern Saudi cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait and Jazan with ballistic missiles and drones on Wednesday, a Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said, marking the second consecutive day of Houthi attacks on the kingdom. The Houthis were continuing attacks on Saudi Arabia’s national assets and infrastructure, coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki said in a statement. Saudi Arabia’s…
On Wednesday, the Houthi group launched ballistic missile and drone attacks on southern Saudi cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait and Jazan, as reported by a Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. This marks the second day of consecutive Houthi assaults on the kingdom, according to coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki. The attacks on Saudi Arabia's national assets and infrastructure have resulted in 73 people being wounded and oil installations set ablaze, prompting Saudi Arabia's Civil Defense to lift alerts in Khamis Mushait and Abha the previous day.
The coalition has vowed to respond to the attacks "responsibly" in order to safeguard the kingdom's sovereignty, national assets, and civilians. The Houthi group carried out a particularly significant assault on a Saudi airbase in Khamis Mushait and oil infrastructure in neighboring cities on Tuesday, one of the most severe strikes in the nation since the US-Israeli conflict on Iran began in February.
Tensions between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis have intensified in recent months, fueling concerns of a resurgence in all-out war following a 2022 UN-brokered truce that largely halted the years-long conflict. Saudi Arabia heads an Arab coalition supporting a government based in Yemen's south, which was ousted from the capital Sanaa by the Houthis 12 years ago.
The conflict has become a battleground in the broader regional war, with the Houthis being close allies of Iran and Saudi Arabia being an ally of the United States. In July, the Houthi group declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, leading to the Saudi-led coalition striking what they claimed were Houthi military targets in Yemen.
Yemeni government forces backed by Saudi Arabia have launched a multi-faceted offensive against Houthi-controlled areas following the group's attempt to advance into government-held territory. The government aims to regain control over all Houthi-held regions. The Saudi-led coalition describes the Houthi strikes as a dangerous escalation, while the coalition asserts it will take measures to dissuade further attacks. The Houthis contend that their assaults are a response to Saudi aggression in Yemen.
Written by urgent.news from Business Recorder's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
