A Houthi surface-to-surface ballistic missile struck the 'Asir region of Saudi Arabia, sending up a column of smoke, according to a Houthi-affiliated channel and Saudi officials cited by the Times of Israel. The attack follows a reported strike on a Yemeni airport, with the Houthis claiming retaliation.
A Houthi surface-to-surface ballistic missile struck Saudi Arabia's 'Asir region this evening, producing a column of smoke visible from the ground, according to a Houthi-affiliated channel and Saudi officials cited by the Times of Israel. The strike, which comes shortly after a reported attack on a Yemeni airport that the Houthis said prompted retaliation, adds a new location to the evening's barrage and is the latest in a series of Houthi attacks on Saudi soil tonight.
The Houthi-affiliated Abu Saleh Arabic Desk had claimed at 19:57 Jerusalem that "the Houthi response in Saudi Arabia has begun." At 19:51, The Zioneer reported a rapid sequence of developments: eyewitnesses observed smoke rising from Abha International Airport; all flights were halted and passengers evacuated; multiple ballistic missiles struck the airport, causing explosions; and Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry confirmed that missiles targeted the southern region and the King Khalid military base in the southwest, with air defense systems intercepting the threat. At 20:34, The Zioneer noted that the evening's attacks marked the first Houthi strikes on Saudi soil since March 2022. A subsequent bulletin at 20:38 confirmed that ballistic missiles were fired at southern Saudi Arabia, including the King Khalid base.
As The Zioneer reported on July 3, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree warned that the group would strike Saudi airports and "vital interests" if the Saudi-American blockade on Yemen persisted. The current attacks follow a Saudi airstrike on Sanaa airport earlier today, which the Houthis cited as the trigger for their retaliation. The broader context includes heightened regional tensions, with refueling aircraft observed over the Gulf, Syria, and Jordan earlier this evening, as The Zioneer reported at 23:22.
No casualties or damage have been officially reported from the 'Asir strike, and the extent of the impact remains unclear. The overall number of missiles that evaded interception and the precise targets of the evening's barrage are still unconfirmed.
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