Saudi Arabia vows to respond 'firmly' to Houthi attacks

Saudi Arabia pledged on Tuesday (Sep 15) to respond firmly to attacks by Yemen's Houthis, following the Iran-backed fighters wounding 13 people in the kingdom with ballistic missiles and drones. The Houthis have been clashing with Saudi-backed forces since July when they declared a maritime blockade on Riyadh and began targeting its ships in the Red Sea.

They recently seized control of Yemen's Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical route as the US-Iran war tightens the Strait of Hormuz. The Houthis have also hit Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure, pushing crude prices above $100 per barrel. A Houthi assault in western Yemen on Monday killed eight government soldiers, and they claimed a large-scale attack using dozens of missiles and drones against King Khalid airbase in Khamis Mushait, southern Saudi Arabia.

On Tuesday morning, the Saudi civil defense issued air-raid alerts in six regions, only to lift them. The Riyadh-led coalition reported missile and drone strikes the previous day on Khamis Mushait, Abha, and Taif, resulting in 13 civilian injuries and damage to seven homes and two vehicles. Saudi forces retaliated with more than 50 strikes, as they had done the day before, according to the Houthis.

The coalition stated it would respond firmly to protect the kingdom's sovereignty, taking all necessary measures to deter the hostile and extremist actions. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was expected to meet with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, though US media reported President Donald Trump had rejected his request for intervention.

The Houthi politburo leader Hazem al-Assad warned the Yemeni response would continue and escalate as long as Saudi Arabia persists in its aggression.