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Eleven civilians were injured in a Houthi attack in southern Saudi Arabia, as Riyadh warned that the Iran-backed Houthis and Iraqi militias could soon launch coordinated attacks on a larger scale.
Major General Turki al-Malki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led military coalition, said early Friday (August 7) that seven Saudis, one Yemeni, two Egyptians and one Pakistani were injured in an attack on Najran province on Thursday.
Al-Malki accused the Iran-backed Houthis of violating international humanitarian law by indiscriminately shelling civilian areas. He said the Saudi-led coalition would continue taking all necessary measures to protect civilians.
Neither the Houthis nor Iran immediately commented on the incident.
Meanwhile, the five-month conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran has further complicated Saudi Arabia’s security situation.
Riyadh’s longstanding confrontation with the Iran-backed Houthis has increasingly become part of a broader regional crisis. Tensions have also escalated as Houthi actions in the Red Sea have disrupted Saudi oil exports.
A senior Saudi official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said intelligence assessments from Saudi Arabia, the United States and several Middle Eastern countries indicate that the Houthis and Iraqi militias, under the supervision of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), could launch coordinated attacks on civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, including energy facilities, ports and airports.
Against this backdrop, Saudi Arabia has moved to strengthen security cooperation with key allies. According to Reuters, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan are expected to sign a defence cooperation agreement on Friday, although details of the deal have not yet been disclosed.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is also expected to arrive in the kingdom on Friday.