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The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned in the strongest terms the Houthi militia’s targeting of civilian and economic sites in Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran, which left 73 people injured including women and children, the Saudi Press Agency reported Tuesday. In a statement, the ministry described the strikes as a dangerous escalation that threatens the kingdom’s sovereignty and the safety of its residents while violating international humanitarian law. It reiterated Saudi Arabia’s categorical rejection of the group’s criminal behavior and its persistent threats to regional stability as well as maritime navigation in the Red Sea. The kingdom affirmed its legitimate right to take all necessary defensive measures in accordance with international law.
Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki said the assaults constituted a flagrant violation and a direct threat to the kingdom’s sovereignty and to the security and safety of its citizens and residents on its territory. The Saudi Energy Ministry reported that the attacks ignited fires at several oil facilities and utilities in the southern region, prompting temporary suspension of operations there. This latest incident follows an August strike that wounded 11 civilians in Najran province, according to coalition figures that track repeated Houthi aggression against border areas.
The Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for the operation, stating that dozens of ballistic missiles and drones were fired at oil and economic facilities as well as an air base in southern Saudi Arabia. He identified specific targets including the Jazan City for Primary and Downstream Industries, Aramco sites in Najran and Abha, and King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait. The rebels framed the strikes as a response to recent Saudi actions in Yemen, their media channels indicated.
The Foreign Ministry warned against the consequences of continued Houthi attacks on innocent civilians and civilian facilities while stressing the need for an immediate halt to all forms of escalation. Its statement contrasted the militia’s behavior with Saudi efforts to support peace initiatives and provide humanitarian assistance to the Yemeni people over recent years. Saudi ports had facilitated the entry of numerous vessels carrying food, fuel and other supplies to northern Yemen in the first half of 2026, earlier ministry assessments showed.
A 2019 GCC summit communique documented more than 225 ballistic missiles and 155 unmanned aerial vehicles launched by the Houthis toward Saudi territory, illustrating the scale of such threats since the Yemen conflict began. Similar condemnations have come from GCC states and countries including Egypt, which has expressed full solidarity with the kingdom against these attacks in prior official statements. The Saudi-led coalition has consistently attributed such incidents, including a 2019 strike on Abha International Airport, to the Iran-backed militia in violation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
