The Saudi Foreign Ministry on Tuesday condemned the Houthi attacks earlier today against civilian and economic sites in Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan, and Najran, which it said wounded 73 civilians. The ministry reaffirmed the kingdom's right to take all necessary steps to protect its sovereignty and said it would not tolerate further attacks, according to a report by N12.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry on Tuesday issued a formal condemnation of the Houthi attacks that struck civilian and economic sites across southern Saudi Arabia, stating that 73 civilians were wounded and reaffirming the kingdom's right to take all necessary steps to protect its sovereignty. The ministry vowed it would not tolerate further attacks, according to a report by N12. This statement marks the official governmental response following a morning of coordinated Houthi strikes.
At 06:46 Jerusalem, the initial wave of reports broke: Saudi authorities confirmed 73 civilians wounded across multiple cities, Saudi Arabia attributed the attacks to Yemen and vowed retaliation, and 40 Saudi fighter jets launched retaliatory airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. The targets included airports, oil refineries, and strategic infrastructure in Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan, and Najran. Accounts of the strikes were first provided by Israeli monitoring outlet Abu Ali Express and journalist Amichai Stein (i24NEWS), and were subsequently confirmed by Saudi officials. The Zioneer published a comprehensive article on the attack at 10:24 Jerusalem.
The escalation is part of a broader pattern of cross-border Houthi aggression. As The Zioneer previously reported, Houthi forces attacked a Saudi vessel off Yemen's Mokha coast in August, killing three crew members, and struck Saudi airports in July, wounding over a dozen civilians. In recent weeks, Saudi Arabia has reportedly prepared for a sea and ground offensive against Houthi positions in central Yemen to break the group's oil blockade. Regional allies Bahrain and Kuwait have welcomed UN Security Council condemnation of the Houthi attacks.
What remains open is the extent of infrastructure damage from the strikes, whether Saudi Arabia will take further military action beyond the initial airstrikes, and the potential for additional Houthi escalation in response.
7 developments
- DevelopingSaudi Arabia warns Houthis: 'We will respond forcefully to any attempt to harm the kingdom'
- DevelopingSaudi FM: Stability cannot be achieved through military force alone
- DevelopingHouthi foreign ministry warns Saudi Arabia, threatens regime collapse
- DevelopingHouthi foreign ministry warns Saudi Arabia: disrupting Sanaa airport will have consequences
Source and signal
- Open-source intake