Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia Spark Oil Facility Fires and Wounded Civilians

A series of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have left at least 73 people wounded and sparked fires at several oil facilities in the kingdom's southern region.

The attacks, which targeted civilian and economic facilities in cities such as Abha, Jazan, Najran, and Khamis Mushait, were carried out by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, a spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen, described the attacks as a 'serious escalation' and a 'flagrant violation of the kingdom's sovereignty.'

The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attacks, stating that they were in response to recent Saudi attacks on the rebels across Yemen. Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the Houthi military spokesman, said they fired dozens of ballistic missiles and drones at oil and economic facilities, as well as an air base in southern Saudi Arabia.

The conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis threatens to squeeze shipping through the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a critical route for oil and global trade. The fighting has already displaced about 18,500 people in Taiz and Hodeida in southwestern Yemen, according to the International Organization for Migration.