13 Injured in Houthi Missile and Drone Attacks on 3 Saudi Cities

RIYADH, Sep 15:  Thirteen civilians were injured in ballistic missile and drone attacks carried out by Yemen’s Houthi group on three Saudi cities, the Saudi-led coalition said early Tuesday.

Coalition spokesman Turki Al-Malki said the attacks targeted Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif on Monday, leaving the victims with minor to moderate injuries. Seven homes and two vehicles were also damaged, he said.

Al-Malki accused the Houthis of deliberately targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure and said the coalition would take measures to deter further attacks under the right to self-defense.

Meanwhile, the General Directorate of Saudi Civil Defense issued “potential danger” alerts early Tuesday for six cities — Jeddah, Yanbu, Taif, Abha, Jazan and AlUla.

The Civil Defense later announced that the danger had passed and urged residents to continue following its safety instructions, avoid gatherings and refrain from filming. It said people should call 911 in an emergency.

The attacks followed claims by Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree that Saudi warplanes had carried out 54 strikes across five Yemeni provinces during the previous 24 hours.

Saree said F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets were used in the strikes and warned that they “would not go unanswered.”

Earlier Monday, the Houthis also claimed a large-scale missile and drone attack targeting King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait and threatened to expand their operations against Saudi Arabia.

Confrontations between forces of Yemen’s internationally recognized government and the Houthis have escalated since early July after years of relative calm.

Yemen has been engulfed in war since the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and several provinces in 2014. A Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened in 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government.