Houthi Attack In Saudi Arabia Injures 11 Civilians As Riyadh Warns Of Wider Threat

At least 11 civilians, including a four-year-old child, were injured after Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels shelled Saudi Arabia's southern Najran region, Saudi authorities said on Thursday. The kingdom condemned the attack as a deliberate strike on civilians and warned that it showed a broader regional threat amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.

The Iran-backed Houthis have also intensified attacks inside Yemen, killing at least 58 government troops in recent missile and drone strikes, according to media reports.

The escalation comes as the conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran increasingly spills over into the region. The Houthis have stepped up attacks against both Saudi Arabia, a key US ally, and Yemen's internationally recognised government.

What Happened In Houthis’ Attack?

The attacks took place in the southern region of Najran, near the Yemeni border. It came after the Houthis claimed responsibility for another series of strikes in central and eastern Yemen, as per Associated Press.

Saudi military Spokesperson, Turki al-Malki, announced that said the later attack wounded seven Saudi nationals, one Yemeni, two Egyptians and one Pakistani expat.

“The terrorist Houthi militia carried out these terrorist attacks using indiscriminate shelling against civilian objects, which is a flagrant violation of the Customary International Humanitarian Law through deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian objects,” al-Malki said in a post on X.

The rebels attacked government positions with ballistic missiles and drones. The attack came in response to an alleged military buildup backed by neighbouring Saudi Arabia, The Times of Israel quoted Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree as saying.

Saudi Warns Of Wider Threat

An official from Saudi Arabia told CNN that the country is bracing for ‘multiple coordinated attacks’ by Iraqi militias factions and Houthis, amid fears of wider escalation of Middle East tensions.

The official said, “I think they want to coordinate attacks from both north and south.” He talked about potential targets being civilian and economic installations like energy facilities, ports and airports.

The official further said that they know about meetings between Iraqis, Houthis, IRGC members and movement of drones and missiles.

Yemen Conflict Escalates

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan are set to hold a summit in Mecca and will announce a joint defence agreement. In 2015, Saudi Arabia led a military coalition that intervened against the Houthis in Yemen but failed to remove the group from the country’s north.

Earlier on July 25, Saudi Arabia carried out air strikes on the Houthi-controlled Yemeni city of Hodeidah, marking a fresh escalation in Yemen's conflict as tensions continue across the region amid the war between the United States and Iran.

According to Al Jazeera, the strikes prompted the Houthi-controlled Foreign Ministry to warn that Riyadh's actions would lead to further escalation, while the Saudi-led coalition accused the Houthis of provoking the latest round of hostilities through attacks on Red Sea shipping.