Iran-Backed Houthi Terrorists Attack Saudi Cities; Women, Children Injured

The Iran-backed Houthi insurgents of Yemen launched drone and missile attacks against four cities in southern Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, injuring at least 70 people and inflicting significant damage on Saudi oil facilities. The Houthis claimed successful attacks on an air base in the Saudi city of Khamis Mushait, plus oil facilities in Abha, Najran, and Jazan. Jazan is a Red Sea port located near the Yemeni border that hosts one of the largest refineries in Saudi Arabia. The Jazan refinery was targeted by Houthi attacks several times in August. Satellite photos showed smoke billowing from the refinery in Jazan and the oil distribution center in Abha, but few additional details about the strikes were released by the Saudi government. The casualty count stood at 73 people injured as of late Tuesday morning, with no reported fatalities. Saudi officials said women and children were among the wounded. Tuesday's attack marked a major escalation of hostilities between the Houthis and Saudis. Saudi Arabia led an international coalition to intervene in the Yemeni civil war from 2015 to 2022, after which the two sides reached an informal cease-fire agreement. That agreement collapsed in July, at which time the Houthis declared a 'maritime ban' on Saudi shipping in the Red Sea and began attacking ships they believed to be carrying Saudi cargo. A pro-Houthi journalist named Hussain al-Bukhaiti told Al Jazeera News on Tuesday that from the Houthi point of view, Saudi Arabia began the current round of hostilities by bombing a runway at the airport in the occupied Yemeni capital of Sanaa in July. The bombing was intended to prevent an Iranian aircraft carrying a Houthi delegation, possibly accompanied by Iranian military officers, from landing in Sanaa. Bukhaiti claimed the Houthis 'sent a warning to Saudi Arabia' and asked it to stop interfering with travel to Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen before resorting to hostilities. 'What was the response from Saudi Arabia? They targeted Sanaa Airport, so they are the ones who bear responsibility,' he said. 'The Saudi enemy has to understand that the time for committing crimes and massacres against the Yemeni people without response, deterrence or paying a price has ended,' said Houthi media official Nasruddin Amer. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said Tuesday's attacks were in retaliation for Saudi Arabia launching some 121 airstrikes on targets in Yemen over the previous three days. Saudi Arabia and its allies condemned the Houthi attacks on Tuesday and promised a military response. 'The Houthis choose to prioritize their narrow interests over the interests of Yemen and resort to violence. The kingdom will not hesitate to protect its interests and fulfil its duties in a manner that achieves security in Yemen and the region,' Saudi Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud, who serves as the kingdom's foreign minister, said. Faisal made the comments at a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a visit to Moscow. Lavrov called the Houthi attacks 'unacceptable' and 'counterproductive,' and offered Russian assistance to broker a new ceasefire agreement. Saudi military spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki called the Houthi attacks a 'dangerous escalation that confirms the hostile and irresponsible approach of this terrorist militia,' and said Saudi Arabia and its allies would 'take all necessary measures and actions to respond to the sources of the threat.' The governments of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Pakistan swiftly denounced the Houthi attacks, as did the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the internationally-recognized government of Yemen, which is strongly allied with Saudi Arabia. The Yemeni government said: The Iran-backed Houthi terrorist militia's targeting of a number of civilian and economic facilities and energy infrastructure in the southern region of the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a blatant act of aggression aimed at the Kingdom's security, sovereignty, stability and the safety of its citizens, residents and national assets. Forces loyal to Yemen's government-in-exile launched a major counteroffensive on Monday, with intense fighting reported across several provinces of Yemen. The loyalists said their ultimate goal was to drive the Houthis out of the capital city of Sanaa. Oil prices spiked after the Houthi attacks on Saudi refineries, with Brent crude hitting $99.46 per barrel in Tuesday trading.