Houthis launched cross border raids on Saudi military posts, sources say

Houthi forces have carried out cross-border incursions into Saudi Arabia, targeting military posts in the southwest, according to sources. This recent activity, which began in late October, marks the first such attacks against Saudi soil since the Yemen ceasefire collapsed in 2022. The western and Arab officials briefed by Middle East Eye revealed that the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, have captured small arms specifically used by Saudi border security personnel.

Surveillance footage reportedly captured the October raid, indicating the Houthi capability to infiltrate Saudi territory. These strikes, which have not been publicly acknowledged, signify an expansion of the conflict beyond Yemen's borders. Yemen experts predict the Houthis will continue to escalate their military actions, potentially returning to ground raids similar to those conducted during the early years of the Yemen war.

The attacks have prompted Saudi Arabia to seek military assistance from Egypt, Pakistan, and Turkey, with each country planning to deploy forces to bolster the kingdom's southern border. The Houthi threat to Saudi Arabia's southern provinces of Asir, Jazan, and Najran, which were ceded to Saudi Arabia in the 1934 Treaty of Taif, highlights the group's territorial ambitions and the diplomatic challenges they pose to regional stability.