Houthis Launch Fresh Attacks on Saudi Arabia, 73 Injured

Riyadh (Terror Monitor) — A wave of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia on Tuesday sparked fires at several oil facilities and utility installations, injuring more than 70 people. Saudi authorities, a key US ally, described the attacks as a major escalation in the conflict with the Iran-backed rebels in Yemen.

The latest attacks followed weeks of fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces in Yemen.

The fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis has raised concerns that shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait could become severely restricted. The strategic waterway is a major route for oil exports from the Arabian Peninsula and global trade.

The attacks also came as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been severely disrupted by the war involving Iran. Before the conflict, roughly 20% of the world’s oil shipments passed through the strategic waterway, but tanker traffic has since been heavily affected.

Fighting Intensifies Across Yemen

Fighting has continued on several fronts in Yemen, particularly in the country’s western coastal areas.

Government forces say they have captured additional territory in the provinces of Hodeidah, Taiz and Al Bayda.

The Houthis, meanwhile, have carried out attacks against Saudi oil facilities and oil tankers in the Red Sea.

Major General Turki al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition, said Houthi attacks early Tuesday targeted civilian and economic facilities in the southern Saudi cities of Abha, Jazan, Najran and Khamis Mushait.

Al-Maliki said the attacks affected key economic centers and civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, adding that coalition forces were assessing the situation and taking necessary measures to counter the Houthi attacks.

He said 73 people, including women and children, were injured in the attacks. He did not provide further details about the nature or severity of their injuries.

Fires Reported at Oil Facilities

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy said in a statement that the attacks sparked fires at several oil facilities and utility installations in the southern part of the kingdom.

Operations at the affected oil facilities and utilities were temporarily suspended, according to the ministry.

The latest attacks mark a significant escalation in hostilities between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis and have heightened concerns over the security of vital energy infrastructure and maritime trade routes in the region.