Somalia condemns Houthi attacks on Saudi civilian and oil sites

Wednesday September 9, 2026

The Houthis claim they targeted trucks coming from Saudi territory on the Saudi–Yemen border on Monday. (Houthi Media Centre via Reuters)

Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia has strongly condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, saying the strikes targeted civilian and economic sites in the kingdom’s southern regions and threatened security in the Red Sea and Horn of Africa.

In a statement Tuesday, Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure was a grave violation of international law and a dangerous escalation.

“The deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure is a grave violation of international law and a dangerous escalation that threatens the security of the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa,” the ministry said.

Somalia, which lies along the Gulf of Aden and near key Red Sea shipping routes, said it was seriously concerned by continued attacks on commercial vessels and threats to freedom of navigation.

“As a littoral state, Somalia views with serious concern the continued targeting of commercial vessels and the threat to freedom of navigation, and calls for an immediate cessation of all attacks and for a renewed commitment to a political settlement in Yemen,” the statement said.

The Somali government said it stands in full solidarity with Saudi Arabia, its leadership and people, and wished the injured a swift recovery.

The Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen launched a wave of attacks on Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, wounding more than 70 people and igniting fires at oil facilities and utilities, according to Saudi authorities.

The attacks marked a major escalation in renewed fighting between Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. ally, and the Houthi group.

The escalation has also raised concerns over regional stability and global energy supplies, as Houthi attacks continue to threaten shipping routes used to transport oil and commercial goods.

Tuesday’s attacks reportedly hit Saudi oil facilities connected to routes near the Bab el-Mandeb, the strategic waterway linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

The Houthis, who control much of Yemen’s populated territory, including the capital, said they had launched a broad operation deep inside Saudi territory.

The group said it used drones and missiles to strike a Saudi airbase in Khamis Mushait and targets linked to Saudi Aramco in Abha, Najran and Jazan, a major Red Sea port city that hosts a refinery and power plant.