The Iran-aligned Houthi group stepped up attacks on Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, targeting the southern cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait and Jazan with ballistic
missiles and drones, according to the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. The strikes marked the second consecutive day of Houthi attacks on the kingdom, signalling a sharp escalation in tensions, Reuters reported. Coalition spokesperson Turki Al-Maliki said the Houthis were continuing to target Saudi Arabia's national assets and infrastructure, while accusing the group of escalating attacks against civilians. He said the coalition's Joint Forces Command would respond to protect the kingdom's sovereignty, infrastructure and civilians. Earlier on Wednesday, the Houthi group said dozens of "Saudi airstrikes" had struck areas under its control over the past 12 hours. The cross-border exchanges have unfolded alongside a sharp escalation inside Yemen, where government forces and the Houthis are fighting on several fronts, most intensely in the country's western areas. The escalation threatens to end several years of relative calm on Yemen's major frontlines following a UN-brokered truce that took effect in April 2022.
UN condemns Houthi attacks
Earlier on Tuesday, the United Nations condemned the cross-border attacks by the Houthis in Yemen against multiple sites in southern Saudi Arabia, which affected civilian and energy infrastructure.
The world body also expressed deep concern over reports of civilian casualties in the attacks, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The United Nations is equally concerned by the intensification of military clashes across multiple front lines within Yemen, particularly reports of possible civilian casualties resulting from the fighting, said the spokesperson.
UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg continues engaging directly with the parties with the aim of containing the current escalation and preserving space for dialogue. Continued military escalation risks devastating political, economic and security ramifications for Yemen. The parties should engage constructively with UN-led political efforts, said the spokesperson.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said an escalation in fighting in Yemen is devastating communities already struggling to survive after more than a decade of conflict.
More than 5,600 households have been displaced across Taiz governorate and southern Al Hodeidah governorate since the escalation in fighting on Thursday. At least 11 civilian casualties have been reported in the last week, including two children killed and nine people injured, said the office.
(With agency inputs)
