Houthi strikes Saudi Arabia: Rebel media claims attack on strategic targets

Yemen's Houthis launched a series of drone and missile strikes against multiple key sites in Saudi Arabia. According to the group’s media arm, Ansarollah, the offensive targeted critical infrastructure in Abha and Jizan, including Abha International Airport, the King Khalid air base, and facilities operated by state oil giant Saudi Aramco.

The strikes mark a sharp escalation in hostilities following cross-border accusations between the warring parties. Prior to the attacks, the Houthis accused Riyadh of launching bombardments across Yemen. Rebel outlets reported that a Saudi airstrike targeted a detention facility in Jawf province. Hassan Saboula, civil defence director for the region, stated via Almasirah media that the prison strike left 11 people dead and 20 inmates trapped beneath rubble. The Houthi-affiliated Saba news agency added that a visiting child was among the fatalities.

Saudi authorities did not issue an immediate response regarding the reported strikes on its oil and military facilities. However, the escalation comes alongside intense ground combat near Yemen’s Red Sea coast, where the Houthis are attempting to secure territory bordering the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait. Days of heavy clashes in the region have claimed more than 300 lives and forced hundreds of families from their homes.

The conflict carries significant geopolitical implications for global energy security. The Bab al-Mandab Strait serves as a crucial maritime gateway connecting the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea. The waterway’s strategic value for Saudi crude oil exports has heightened substantially due to Tehran’s ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz amid the broader US-Iran conflict. As fighting intensifies along the coastal corridor, the security of key regional shipping arteries remains critically compromised.