Scores wounded as Iran-backed Houthis attack Saudi Arabia, military says

Saudi-led coalition forces are vowing a resolute response to a wave of attacks from Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels early Tuesday that it said wounded at least 73 civilians. Major General Turki Al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led Coalition Forces, described the attacks as “senseless,” saying Houthi forces had targeted “civilian and economic sites” in the cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan, and Najran. Despite efforts to stay clear of America’s war with Iran, Saudi Arabia faced missile attacks from the Houthis in July, ending a four-year de facto ceasefire between the rebel group and the kingdom. Women and children were among the wounded in Tuesday’s attacks, Al-Maliki said in a statement. The attacks “constitute a blatant violation of the Kingdom’s sovereignty and a direct threat to the security and safety of its citizens and residents,” he added. The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition –– the Saudi-led grouping that that has been fighting the Houthis during Yemen’s yearslong civil war –– will “take all necessary operational measures” deter Houthi forces and “resolutely confront its hostile approach,” Al-Maliki said. “The Command will also take all necessary measures and actions to respond to the sources of the threat and neutralize its danger.” Nasr al-Din Amer, a member of the Iran-backed Houthis’ politburo, said on Telegram that the “ongoing, in-depth response far exceeds what is being circulated on social media and is much broader.” This is a developing story and will be updated.