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Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki, the official spokesman for the coalition to restore legitimacy in Yemen, issued a statement detailing how Houthi militia attacks targeted civilian and economic sites in the cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran. The assaults injured 73 civilians including women and children, according to the coalition’s tally. Al-Maliki said the strikes constitute a flagrant violation and a direct threat to the kingdom’s sovereignty as well as to the security and safety of its citizens and residents on its territory.
In the announcement the spokesman characterized the Houthi actions as a dangerous escalation that demonstrates the group’s continued deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure. He noted that such behavior violates international humanitarian law and international law. The joint forces command of the coalition affirmed it will take all necessary operational measures to deter the militias and confront their hostile approach with firmness in defense of the kingdom.
The statement from al-Maliki comes less than a month after an earlier Houthi attack that the coalition said wounded 11 civilians in Najran province on August 6. That incident injured seven Saudis including a woman and a four-year-old child who suffered second-degree burns along with one Yemeni two Egyptians and one Pakistani national. The coalition has documented a pattern of such strikes on southern Saudi areas in recent weeks.
Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry reported that the latest attacks sparked fires at several sites in the southern region temporarily halting some operations. Egypt described the barrage as a dangerous escalation while Jordan called it a blatant violation of Saudi sovereignty in statements following the announcement. The Saudi foreign ministry affirmed the kingdom’s legitimate right to take all necessary measures to defend its sovereignty.
Al-Maliki has warned in prior statements that the coalition would respond with unprecedented determination and force to any attempts to target the kingdom its citizens or its national assets. The current escalation builds on incidents since July 2026 when the Houthis fired missiles at Saudi oil facilities and vessels in the Red Sea prompting coalition responses. Coalition data from earlier operations placed the number of permits granted for humanitarian access into Yemen at more than 24,000 while noting repeated Houthi interference with relief efforts.
