Houthi Missiles, Drones Target Three Saudi Cities as Yemen Conflict Escalates

Yemen's Houthi group launched ballistic missiles and drones towards three Saudi cities, prompting the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognised government to warn of a response amid a renewed escalation in cross-border hostilities.

The attacks targeted Khamis Mushait, Abha and Jazan, according to coalition spokesperson Turki Al-Maliki.

In a statement posted on X, Al-Maliki accused the Houthis of continuing to target Saudi Arabia's national assets and infrastructure. He described the attacks as part of what he called the group's escalating campaign against the Kingdom and its civilian population.

Al-Maliki said the coalition's Joint Forces Command would take measures to protect Saudi Arabia's sovereignty, national assets, civilians and civilian infrastructure.

The reported missile and drone attacks took place on Wednesday as fighting intensified both across the Saudi-Yemen border and inside Yemen.

Earlier the same day, the Houthis claimed that dozens of Saudi airstrikes had hit areas under their control during the preceding 12 hours. The claims could not be independently verified.

The latest cross-border exchanges coincide with renewed fighting between Yemen's internationally recognised government forces and the Houthis on several fronts. The western parts of the country have witnessed some of the most intense clashes, raising concerns that the escalation could undermine the relative calm that had prevailed along several major frontlines since a UN-brokered truce came into effect in April 2022.

The United Nations has voiced growing concern over the renewed violence. On Tuesday, the UN condemned Houthi cross-border attacks against several locations in southern Saudi Arabia, saying they had affected civilian and energy infrastructure.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' spokesperson Stephane Dujarric also expressed concern over reports of civilian casualties resulting from the attacks.

The UN has simultaneously raised alarm over the intensification of fighting within Yemen, particularly reports of possible civilian casualties along multiple frontlines.

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg continues to engage with the parties in an effort to contain the escalation and preserve the possibility of renewed political dialogue. The UN has warned that a prolonged military escalation could have serious political, economic and security consequences for Yemen, which has endured more than a decade of conflict.

The humanitarian situation is also deteriorating. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the renewed fighting was placing additional pressure on communities already struggling after years of conflict and displacement.

According to OCHA, more than 5,600 households have been displaced across Taiz governorate and southern Al Hodeidah governorate since the latest escalation began on Thursday. At least 11 civilian casualties, including two children killed and nine people injured, have been reported over the past week.

The renewed violence has raised fears that the fragile reduction in hostilities achieved in recent years could unravel, further complicating international efforts to find a lasting political settlement to Yemen's conflict.