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Major General Turki al-Maliki spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition stated that Houthi rebels targeted civilian and economic sites in four southern Saudi provinces resulting in 73 injuries among civilians including women and children. Al-Maliki called the strikes a dangerous escalation and a blatant violation of Saudi sovereignty that poses a direct threat to citizens and residents according to a statement reported by Reuters. The coalition has pledged to take all necessary operational measures to deter the militia and confront the sources of the threat.
Al-Maliki issued the assessment on Tuesday as part of a formal statement distributed on X that framed the attacks as the latest in a series of hostile actions by the Iran-backed group. The spokesman emphasised that the strikes demonstrated a deliberate pattern of targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure in violation of international humanitarian law Reuters reported. This latest round of cross-border strikes comes without an immediate public response from the Houthis.
The Saudi Ministry of Energy said in a separate statement that several energy sector facilities in southern areas were struck early Tuesday sparking fires at multiple locations and forcing a temporary halt to some operations. The ministry provided no details on the scale of damage or duration of the disruptions. Such targeting aligns with Houthi actions that have previously affected Saudi energy infrastructure in the region.
The incidents occurred against a backdrop of intensified fighting inside Yemen where Saudi-backed government troops have launched a counteroffensive to retake territory from Houthi control Al Jazeera reported. The coalition’s announcement followed Houthi accusations that Saudi forces carried out an airstrike on a prison in northern Yemen that killed at least seven people including a child though those claims have not been independently verified. The developments reflect a sharp rise in hostilities that began escalating after the Houthis declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in July.
A similar Houthi attack in Najran province on August 6 wounded 11 civilians including a four-year-old child according to an earlier briefing from al-Maliki covered by the Associated Press. That strike injured seven Saudi nationals one Yemeni two Egyptians and one Pakistani according to the same coalition tally. The pattern of repeated border incidents has heightened security concerns in Saudi Arabia’s southern regions over the past year.
The Houthis who control much of northern Yemen have conducted missile and drone strikes toward Saudi territory since July while also targeting vessels in the Red Sea Reuters data shows. The Saudi-led coalition which has backed Yemen’s internationally recognised government since 2015 continues to monitor such threats closely. Al-Maliki’s statement stopped short of detailing specific retaliatory steps that may follow.
