CAIRO — A series of Houthi attacks struck Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, causing fires at critical energy infrastructure and injuring at least 73 individuals, marking a significant escalation in the renewed hostilities between the Iranian-backed Yemeni rebels and the U.S.-aligned kingdom.
Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, a spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition operating in Yemen, confirmed that the assaults targeted civilian and economic sites in the southern cities of Abha, Jazan, Najran, and Khamis Mushait. He reported that among the casualties were women and children, though he did not provide additional specifics regarding the severity of the injuries.
The Kingdom’s Energy Ministry stated that the strikes ignited fires at multiple oil facilities and utility networks. Operations at these sites were temporarily suspended as firefighters worked to contain the blazes. The southern region is home to substantial energy assets, including the Jazan refinery, which has a daily capacity of 400,000 barrels and ranks among the largest in Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis asserted responsibility for the operation, characterizing it as retaliation for recent Saudi military actions against rebel positions across Yemen. Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the rebels’ military spokesman, released a prerecorded statement announcing the launch of dozens of ballistic missiles and drones. He identified several specific targets, including the Jazan City for Primary and Downstream Industries, a major logistics hub on the Red Sea coast; Aramco facilities in Najran and Abha; and King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait.
Saree placed the blame for the intensified conflict on Riyadh, warning that any aggression against Yemen would receive a decisive response. Nasruddin Amer, deputy head of the Houthi media office, celebrated the strikes on social media, declaring that the era of impunity for attacks on the Yemeni people had ended.
These events unfold against a backdrop of shattered peace agreements; a four-year truce in Yemen’s civil war collapsed following weeks of escalating clashes between Houthi forces and Saudi-backed government troops. Fighting has been particularly intense along Yemen’s western coast, with government forces claiming territorial advances in the provinces of Hodeida, Taiz, and Baydah.
The renewed violence poses serious risks to global energy markets and shipping routes. The conflict threatens to disrupt passage through the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a vital artery for oil and commerce. This instability coincides with the ongoing war involving Iran, which has nearly halted shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that previously transported approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil supply.
General al-Malki condemned the attacks as a “flagrant violation of the kingdom’s sovereignty” and a direct threat to public safety. He vowed that the coalition would take all necessary operational measures to deter what he described as terrorist activities by the Houthi militia.
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