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Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched a series of missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, prompting Riyadh to carry out airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen as tensions in the region continued to escalate.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for attacks targeting Saudi military and strategic sites. Saudi authorities said the attacks caused casualties and triggered security alerts in several cities, including Jeddah, Makkah and Taif.
Saudi Arabia has vowed to respond “firmly” to the attacks. The latest escalation follows intensified fighting in Yemen and Saudi-led airstrikes against Houthi positions.
The Houthis have said their attacks on Saudi territory were carried out in retaliation for those strikes.
Reports from Houthi sources said Saudi aircraft carried out dozens of strikes on Houthi positions in Yemen. Earlier reports also cited around 40 Saudi airstrikes following previous Houthi attacks, although the figures have not been independently verified.
The escalation has raised concerns over the security of vital shipping routes in the Red Sea and around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The renewed fighting has also contributed to a worsening humanitarian situation in Yemen, with thousands of civilians displaced by the latest clashes.
Meanwhile, Saudi-led coalition forces said they intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Makkah on Tuesday before it entered the city’s restricted airspace. The Houthis denied targeting Makkah.
The latest developments mark a sharp escalation after a period of relative calm between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis,
while regional tensions have also been heightened by the wider conflict involving Iran and disruptions to key energy and shipping routes.
