Houthis Attack Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan With Missiles and Drones for Second Day: 24 outlets compared
Missiles hit Saudi cities
Reuters reported that the Houthis attacked Abha, Khamis Mushait and Jazan with ballistic missiles and drones on Wednesday, with coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki saying the Iran-aligned group was continuing attacks on Saudi Arabia’s national assets and infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense lifted alerts in Khamis Mushait and Abha on Wednesday, a day after Houthi attacks there and in two nearby cities wounded 73 people and set oil installations ablaze.
The Taipei Times said Saudi Arabia threatened to hit back after the wave of missiles from Yemen’s Houthis set oil facilities ablaze and left 73 injured, calling it the rebels’ heaviest attack in years.
The TRT World report said Major General Turki al Maliki described the strikes as a “dangerous escalation” and a “blatant violation” of Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty.
Retaliation vows and rival claims
Turki al-Malki said the coalition would respond to the attacks “responsibly” to protect Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, national assets, and civilians, while the Houthis said their strikes were in response to Saudi escalation in Yemen.
The TRT World report quoted al Maliki characterizing the attacks as a “dangerous escalation” and a “blatant violation” and said the Joint Forces Command will deploy “all necessary operational measures” to deter the hostile attacks and protect Saudi citizens.
In a statement carried by Reuters, al-Malki said the coalition would respond to protect Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, and Reuters also reported that Houthis struck an airbase in Khamis Mushait and oil infrastructure in nearby cities on Tuesday.
The Taipei Times said Saudi Arabia would “take all necessary measures to defend its sovereignty,” demanding a halt to the Houthi strikes and their attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.
Al Jazeera framed the escalation as Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces intensifying their counteroffensive against the Houthis as fighting spread across Yemen after the Saudi pledge of retaliation.
Yemen front widens stakes
i24NEWS reported that over 300 people have been killed and nearly 20,000 displaced by renewed fighting across Yemen, as Saudi-aligned government and Iran-aligned Houthis clashed across the entire frontline.
i24NEWS said the Houthis launched an attack against government forces that claimed the lives of over 120 people as they sought to sever the connection between the port city of Mokha and Taiz in the highlands.
The Reuters report said Houthi-run Al Masirah TV, citing the group’s health ministry, said at least 32 people had been killed in Saudi strikes on Yemen’s Al Jawf over the past two days, while Saudi Arabia had not announced or confirmed carrying out strikes there.
The WBAL News Radio report said the new fighting has threatened to reignite Yemen’s civil war, which began in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and much of northern Yemen and forced the government into exile.