Aden (South24 Center)

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The escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi militia entered a more dangerous phase after attacks on Tuesday (September 8) targeted civilian, economic, and energy facilities in the Saudi cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan, and Najran, leaving 73 civilians injured, including women and children. The attacks coincided with an intensification of airstrikes inside Yemen that Houthi media attributed to Saudi Arabia.

Major General Turki Al-Maliki, spokesman for the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen, described the Houthi attacks as a “dangerous escalation” and said the coalition would take the necessary operational measures to deter further attacks and respond to the sources of the threat. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy separately said several energy facilities and installations were targeted on Tuesday morning, causing fires, temporarily suspending some operations, and injuring citizens and residents.

The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attacks. In a statement on Tuesday, their military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said the group had used dozens of ballistic missiles and drones to target Aramco facilities in Abha, Najran, and Jazan, as well as what Houthi-affiliated media identified as Jazan Economic City and King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait. The group said the strikes were carried out in response to airstrikes inside Yemen and vowed to continue operations against Saudi Arabia.

On Wednesday (September 9), Saudi Civil Defense issued an alert over a potential threat in Khamis Mushait before later announcing that the danger had passed. No new casualties were immediately reported in connection with the alert.

Meanwhile, Houthi-run Al-Masirah television said on Wednesday that aircraft it described as Saudi had carried out 32 airstrikes across Marib, Al-Jawf, Taiz, and Al-Hodeidah over the preceding hours. There was no immediate Saudi confirmation of the strikes. The report followed a statement by Saree a day earlier claiming that 121 airstrikes had targeted Marib, Al-Bayda, Al-Hodeidah, Taiz, and Al-Jawf over three days.

Houthi media had earlier reported strikes on the central prison in Al-Hazm, Al-Jawf Governorate, as well as the Sara area in Majz District, Saada Governorate. Reuters reported on Wednesday that Houthi media put the death toll from strikes in Al-Jawf at 21, although Saudi authorities had not confirmed either the strikes or the casualty figure.

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg on Wednesday condemned the latest Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, warning that they risk widening the conflict, endangering civilians, and undermining efforts toward a political settlement. He called on the Houthis to halt attacks on Saudi Arabia and inside Yemen, as well as attacks against commercial vessels, and stressed that international humanitarian law prohibits attacks directed against civilians and civilian objects.

The US Embassy to Yemen also said the Houthis had started the current conflict and “must bear the consequences of their aggression.” It reaffirmed that the internationally recognized Yemeni government has the right to defend its people and said Saudi Arabia has the right to defend its territory and citizens and to support the Yemeni government against the Houthis.

The European Union strongly condemned the attacks, describing them as a dangerous escalation and a violation of international law that threatens regional security and efforts to reach a peaceful settlement in Yemen. It called on the Houthis to immediately halt attacks inside and outside Yemen, including attacks against commercial shipping in the Red Sea, and urged compliance with UN Security Council Resolutions 2722 (2024) and 2826 (2026).

The attacks also drew condemnation from several regional governments, including Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Pakistan. The Gulf Cooperation Council likewise condemned the attacks and expressed full solidarity with Saudi Arabia, while calling for a firmer international response.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said during a visit to Moscow that Riyadh would use all available means to defend itself and protect its interests. He warned that the Houthis had “opened a door they will not be able to handle,” while stressing that the diplomatic path remained open and that Saudi Arabia continued to support political solutions.

As of Wednesday, Saudi Arabia had not publicly confirmed the Houthi accounts of the latest airstrikes inside Yemen or the casualty figures attributed to them.