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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday condemned in the “strongest terms” Houthi attacks targeting civilian and energy facilities in Saudi Arabia, reaffirming Pakistan’s steadfast support for the Kingdom’s sovereignty and security.
“I condemn in the strongest terms the cowardly attack by Houthis targeting civilian and energy facilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which have left many people injured,” PM Shehbaz said in a post on X.
The statement came after Houthis attacked the southern Saudi cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran, injuring 73 people, according to Saudi authorities. Women and children were among those injured, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said. The attacks also triggered fires at some energy facilities, where operations were subsequently halted as firefighting and emergency teams worked to contain the blazes and assess the damage.
PM Shehbaz said Pakistan stood in unwavering solidarity with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the brotherly people of Saudi Arabia.
“Such dastardly attacks threaten innocent lives as well as regional peace and security. We reaffirm our steadfast support for the Kingdom’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, and pray for the swift recovery of all those injured,” he added.
The latest attacks were not the first time the Houthis had targeted Saudi Arabia’s energy interests. On 23 July, the group said it had struck two Saudi oil tankers in what it described as part of a naval blockade against the kingdom. The Houthis control areas near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s key shipping routes linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, giving the group the ability to threaten vital maritime traffic.
The strikes had followed growing tensions between the Houthis and Riyadh. After the group threatened further attacks, the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government vowed to respond with “unprecedented determination and force” to any attempt to target the kingdom, its citizens or its national assets.
