Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched a wave of ballistic missiles and drones against civilian and economic targets across four southern provinces in Saudi Arabia, wounding 73 civilians and sparking fires at energy infrastructure on Tuesday, marking a severe escalation in renewed regional hostilities.
The strikes hit civilian and economic facilities in Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jizan, and Najran, according to Major-General Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen. The attacks injured at least 73 people, including women and children, and triggered fires at multiple locations in the kingdom’s southern region, forcing a temporary suspension of operations at several oil facilities and utilities, the Saudi Ministry of Energy confirmed in a separate statement.
Among the facilities impacted was a major oil refinery in Jazan, a key Red Sea port city that houses an expansive industrial hub, refinery, and power plant.
Houthi Justification and Regional Condemnation
The rebel leadership in Yemen defended the onslaught as a direct countermeasure. Gen. Yahya Saree asserted that the operation utilized dozens of ballistic missiles and drones to strike King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait, Aramco facilities in Najran and Abha, and industrial zones in Jazan.
The group maintained that the bombardment was retaliation for more than 120 Saudi air raids launched against Yemen over the preceding three days. Houthi-linked media also accused Saudi warplanes of striking a prison in al-Hazm within the northern al-Jawf governorate, an alleged raid that reportedly killed at least seven people, including a child. Riyadh offered no immediate comment on that specific allegation.
The coalition will take all necessary operational measures to deter this terrorist militia and resolutely confront its hostile approach,
International condemnation followed swiftly. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the assault in a post on X, terming it a cowardly act that threatened innocent lives and regional stability while expressing unwavering solidarity with Saudi leadership. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov likewise weighed in during talks with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, declaring that the Houthi strikes were counterproductive, damaging to the global economy, and unacceptable as a means of resolving the conflict.
Broader Conflict and Displaced Populations in Yemen
The renewed air attacks on Saudi soil coincide with a sprawling ground counteroffensive by the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized Yemeni government. Seeking to reclaim territory and stretch Houthi resources across multiple fronts, government forces pushed through western Taiz and southern Hodeidah toward the strategic Red Sea port city of al-Makha near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Fighting has subsequently erupted across al-Dhalea, Marib, al-Jawf, and al-Bayda provinces.
The human cost of the widening military campaigns has escalated sharply. The World Health Organization reported that approximately 1,078 people have been killed or wounded since August 24.
This renewed violence shatters a period of relative calm that followed a 2022 United Nations-brokered truce. The friction intensified further after the United States and Israel launched military actions against Iran in February, pulling the long-standing Yemeni civil war into a broader regional confrontation.
Global Energy Markets Face Fresh Jitters
The strikes against energy infrastructure in southern Saudi Arabia carry immediate economic ramifications, threatening an alternative shipping route used to transport oil to world markets while the Strait of Hormuz remains restricted amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict.
With military commanders on both sides promising sustained retaliation, diplomats face an increasingly narrow window to contain an expanded multi-front war that threatens civilian safety across the Arabian Peninsula and destabilizes global energy supplies.
Worth a look
- Why You Should Try the Japanese Interval Walking Method
- Paula Baro | Corporate Relations Manager | International Crisis Group
- Saudi Arabia Condemns Houthi Attacks on Four Cities Leaving 73 Civilians Injured (newsdirectory3.com)
- Yemeni Forces Launch Counteroffensive Against Houthis to Recapture Sanaa (time.news)
