Yemen’s Houthis said Tuesday they hit economic and military targets in Saudi Arabia, saying the attacks were a response to more than 120 strikes by Riyadh on Yemen over the last three days.
The strikes conducted by the Iran-backed rebels wounded 73 people, according to Saudi authorities. The Houthis said they hit Abha International Airport, King Khalid Air Base, and facilities belonging to state-owned oil giant Aramco in Abha and Jizan, near their shared border.
“Yemeni armed forces carried out a large-scale, long-range military operation… using dozens of ballistic missiles and drones,” said Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree.
Saudi authorities said the strikes caused fires and temporary shutdowns. An Energy Ministry source quoted by Saudi media said, “several energy sector facilities and installations in the southern region of the kingdom were targeted this morning.” The attacks came after the Houthis accused Riyadh on Monday of conducting strikes around Yemen, including the deadly bombardment of a prison. The attack on the jail in Al-Hazm in northern Yemen killed 11 people and left 20 inmates missing, Houthi media reported, citing Jawf province’s civil defense chief.
The Houthi rebels are also pressing their broad offensive along front lines on the western Red Sea coast in a bid to advance toward the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the mouth of the Red Sea.
The attacks mark a significant escalation in direct Saudi–Houthi hostilities, extending the conflict to critical energy and aviation infrastructure inside the kingdom while the Houthis press an offensive toward the strategically vital Bab al-Mandab Strait. Key indicators to watch are further Saudi strikes on Yemen, the scale and frequency of Houthi attacks on Saudi territory, and any Houthi gains along the Red Sea coast that could increase risks to shipping through the strait. (AFP+EIR)
