Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia, 73 Civilians Injured in

Darwin, Septermber 08 : At least 73 civilians, including women and children, have been injured in attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels targeting civilian and economic facilities in Saudi Arabia, Riyadh has alleged. Al Jazeera reported the incident.

On Tuesday (September 8), Saudi-led coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki said in a statement that the Houthis had targeted civilian and economic facilities in the regions of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran. He did not specify when the attacks took place.

Al-Maliki described the attacks as a dangerous escalation and a clear violation of Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty. He said the attacks posed a direct threat to Saudi citizens and residents.

He added that the coalition would take all necessary operational measures to counter the attacks and act against the sources of the threat.

In a separate statement, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy said several energy-sector facilities and infrastructure in the country’s southern region came under attack early Tuesday. Several citizens and residents were injured, while fires broke out at various locations. As a result, some operations had to be temporarily suspended.

The Houthis did not immediately comment on the allegations.

Earlier, the Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out an airstrike on a prison in the Al-Hazm area of Yemen’s northern Al-Jawf governorate. The group claimed that at least seven people were killed in the attack. It warned that Saudi Arabia’s ongoing aggression against Yemen would not go unpunished.

The conflict in Yemen has continued since the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014. The following year, a Saudi-led coalition launched a military campaign against the Houthis. The coalition has supported Yemen’s internationally recognized government.

Fighting between the two sides largely subsided after a UN-mediated ceasefire took effect in 2022. However, the conflict has intensified again since the United States and Israel began a war against Iran.

In July this year, following an attack on Sanaa airport, the Houthis launched missile and drone attacks targeting Abha International Airport in Saudi Arabia. Later that month, the group announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia and began attacking Saudi-linked vessels in the Red Sea.

Last Thursday, the Houthis launched a major offensive. They attempted to advance toward the Red Sea port city of Al-Makha and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait through western Taiz and southern Hudaydah.

Initially, the fighting was confined to western Taiz and southern Hudaydah, but it has now spread to the provinces of Al-Dhalea, Marib, Al-Jawf and Al-Bayda. Pro-government forces have adopted the strategy to keep Houthi forces engaged on multiple fronts and increase pressure on them.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said that around 1,078 people have been killed or injured in the conflict since August 24. More than 21,000 people have also been displaced since last Thursday.

Source: Al Jazeera