Houthis’ Strikes on Saudi Arabia Injure 73 Civilians, Officials Say

Saudi Arabia’s coalition spokesperson announced Tuesday that Houthi forces from Yemen had launched a series of missile and drone attacks on civilian‑related sites in the southern provinces of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jizan and Najran. The strikes left 73 people wounded – men, women and children among them – and sparked fires at several energy installations.

Major‑General Turki al‑Maliki, the coalition’s official mouthpiece, called the raids a “dangerous escalation” and a “blatant violation” of Saudi sovereignty. He warned that Riyadh would take “all necessary operational measures” to counter the threat and protect its citizens.

The Saudi Ministry of Energy added that early on Tuesday multiple energy‑sector facilities were hit, forcing a temporary halt to some operations while emergency crews battled the resulting blazes. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs echoed the coalition’s stance, saying the kingdom would do whatever is needed to defend its territory.

Russia weighed in as well. In a conversation with Saudi Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the Houthi attacks were counter‑productive, hurting the global economy and should not be resolved through military means.

The Houthis, for their part, released a statement saying the attacks were retaliation for more than 120 Saudi strikes on Yemeni soil in the preceding three days. Their media arm accused the Saudi‑backed forces of launching a large‑scale operation involving dozens of ballistic missiles and drones, and of striking the Al‑Waziyah district in Taiz province.

This latest flare‑up comes after months of renewed fighting. The conflict, which reignited in July when the Houthis targeted Abha’s international airport and imposed a naval blockade on Saudi‑linked shipping in the Red Sea, has already pushed the war beyond Yemen’s borders.

According to the World Health Organization, since late August more than 1,000 people have been killed or injured in the renewed hostilities, and over 21,000 have been forced to flee their homes.