Saudi Arabia reports 73 civilians wounded in Houthi attacks on civilian and energy sites

Saudi Arabia has accused Yemen’s Houthi rebels of launching attacks on civilian and economic sites within the kingdom, resulting in at least 73 injuries among civilians, including women and children. This accusation was made on Tuesday amid escalating fighting in Yemen, where the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized government is conducting a counteroffensive against the Iran-backed Houthis. Major-General Turki al-Maliki, the spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, stated that the Houthi attacks targeted civilian and economic sites in the provinces of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jizan, and Najran, although he did not specify the timing of these attacks. Al-Maliki characterized the assaults as a "dangerous escalation" and a "blatant violation" of Saudi sovereignty, indicating that they pose a direct threat to citizens and residents of the kingdom. He mentioned that the coalition would implement "all necessary operational measures" to address the attacks and target their sources. The Saudi Ministry of Energy reported that several energy sector facilities in southern regions were struck early Tuesday, resulting in injuries to citizens and residents, igniting fires at multiple locations, and causing a temporary halt in some operations. Earlier, the Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of conducting an airstrike on a prison in al-Hazm, al-Jawf governorate, which reportedly killed at least seven individuals, asserting that the "ongoing Saudi aggression against Yemen will not go unpunished." Riyadh has not responded to this allegation. Yemen has been in conflict since the Houthis took control of the capital, Sanaa, in 2014, leading to a Saudi-led military intervention in 2015. Although fighting subsided following a United Nations-brokered truce in 2022, hostilities resumed after a conflict involving the United States and Israel against Iran began in February. The Houthis launched missiles and drones towards Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport in July, following an attack on Sanaa airport, and declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, targeting Saudi-linked shipping in the Red Sea. Recently, the Houthis initiated a significant offensive, attempting to advance through western Taiz and southern Hodeidah towards the port city of al-Makha and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea. Fighting has spread to the provinces of al-Dhalea, Marib, al-Jawf, and al-Bayda as the government aims to stretch Houthi forces and increase pressure on them. The World Health Organization reported that approximately 1,078 individuals have been killed or injured since August 24, with over 21,000 people displaced since Thursday.