Houthi Strikes Wound 73 Civilians Across Saudi Arabia

Saudi officials announced on Tuesday that missiles and drones launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels hit several civilian and economic targets in the kingdom, leaving 73 people injured – men, women and children alike.

Major‑General Turki al‑Maliki, the spokesman for the Saudi‑led coalition, said the strikes struck the provinces of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jizan and Najran. He called the raids a “dangerous escalation” and a blatant breach of Saudi sovereignty, warning that the coalition would take “all necessary operational measures” against the threat.

The Ministry of Energy added that a number of energy‑sector facilities in the south were hit early on Tuesday, sparking fires and forcing a temporary halt to some operations. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs echoed the condemnation, demanding that the Houthis stop the attacks immediately.

Russia weighed in, too. During talks with Saudi Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the Houthi strikes were counter‑productive, harming the global economy and that military solutions were unacceptable.

For their part, the Houthis issued a statement claiming the attacks were retaliation for more than 120 Saudi strikes on Yemen over the previous three days. They also accused Riyadh of recent raids in Taiz province and an airstrike on a prison in al‑Hazm that killed at least seven people.

The violence is part of a wider flare‑up that began after the United Nations‑brokered truce of 2022 collapsed following the war sparked by the United States and Israel against Iran. Since July, the Houthis have fired missiles at Saudi airports, imposed a naval blockade in the Red Sea and pressed forward in a new offensive toward the port city of al‑Maqha.

The World Health Organization estimates that more than 1,000 people have been killed or wounded since late August, with over 21,000 displaced. Riyadh says it will defend its sovereignty, while the humanitarian toll continues to rise.