West Asia Conflict / Houthis Strike Cities with Missiles and Drones, Says Saudi-Led Coalition
Key Points
Houthi missile and drone strikes hit Saudi cities Khamis Mushait, Abha and Jazan, prompting coalition vows of retaliation as UN warns of escalating clashes, civilian casualties, and worsening humanitarian crisis.
Riyadh, Sep 10: Saudi Arabia faced renewed cross‑border hostilities on Wednesday as the Houthi group launched ballistic missile and drone strikes against several southern cities, intensifying a confrontation that has already unsettled the region.
The Saudi‑led coalition confirmed the attacks targeted Khamis Mushait, Abha and Jazan.
Coalition spokesperson Turki Al‑Maliki, in a statement on social media platform X, accused the Houthis of persisting in assaults on “the kingdom’s national assets and infrastructure,” calling the strikes part of the group’s “extremist approach toward escalation and the targeting of civilians in Saudi Arabia.”
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✨He stressed that the coalition’s Joint Forces Command would act to safeguard Saudi sovereignty, civilians and civilian facilities.
The attacks came amid a sharp escalation between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia. Earlier the same day, the Houthis claimed dozens of “Saudi airstrikes” had struck areas under their control over the past 12 hours.
The exchanges coincide with intensified fighting inside Yemen, where government forces and the Houthis are clashing across multiple fronts, particularly in western regions.
The renewed violence threatens to unravel several years of relative calm on Yemen’s major battle lines following a UN‑brokered truce that began in April 2022.
On Tuesday, the United Nations condemned the cross‑border Houthi attacks against multiple sites in southern Saudi Arabia, which damaged civilian and energy infrastructure.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the world body was “deeply concerned” over reports of civilian casualties. He added that the UN was equally troubled by intensifying clashes across Yemen and “reports of possible civilian casualties resulting from the fighting.”
UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg continues direct engagement with the parties to contain the escalation and preserve space for dialogue.
“Continued military escalation risks devastating political, economic and security ramifications for Yemen. The parties should engage constructively with UN‑led political efforts,” Dujarric said.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that the surge in fighting is devastating communities already struggling after more than a decade of conflict.
Since Thursday, more than 5,600 households have been displaced across Taiz and southern Al Hodeidah governorates. At least 11 civilian casualties were reported in the past week, including two children killed and nine others injured.
(IANS)