Saudi Arabia vows retaliation after Houthi drone attacks hit cities

Tue Sep 08 2026 16:15:50 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Dozens of drones and missiles struck Saudi energy sites, injuring 73 and prompting a vow of retaliation.

Yemen’s Iran‑backed Houthi movement launched a series of drone and missile attacks on southwestern Saudi Arabia, striking oil and energy facilities in cities such as Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran. The strikes set fires, temporarily halted operations and injured 73 civilians, many women and children. Saudi officials described the attacks as a dangerous escalation, promising operational measures to deter the group. The Houthis claim the strikes are retaliation for Saudi air raids on Yemen’s north‑western provinces, citing a recent bombing of a prison in al‑Hazm that killed 11 people. The move comes after a four‑year ceasefire was broken in July, with the Houthis imposing a maritime embargo and targeting Saudi ports and aircraft, heightening tensions in a region where the Red Sea is a vital oil corridor amid broader Middle East conflicts.

Houthi drone and missile attacks hit Saudi Arabia, 73 injured

On Tuesday, a wave of drones and missiles launched by Yemen's Houthi movement struck four cities in southwestern Saudi Arabia including Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran.

The strikes set fire to oil and energy facilities, causing temporary stops to operations and leaving 73 civilians injured, many of them women and children.

Saudi Arabia's military spokesman Maj Gen Turki al‑Maliki called the attacks a dangerous escalation and warned the coalition will take all necessary measures to deter the group.

The Houthis say the attacks are retaliation for Saudi strikes on areas of north‑western Yemen they control, citing a recent bombing of a prison in al‑Hazm that killed at least 11 people and left 20 inmates missing under rubble.

The incidents follow the breaking of a four‑year ceasefire in July, after the Houthis deployed a maritime embargo against Saudi ports and launched attacks on Saudi airports, oil refineries and tankers in the Red Sea.

The Red Sea becomes increasingly vital for oil exports, especially as the US and Israel wage war with Iran and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.

Heavy fighting on Yemen's south‑western coast has claimed over 300 lives and displaced thousands since the Houthis pushed for control of the Bab al‑Mandab strait.