Houthis strike 4 southern Saudi cities, hit Aramco facilities; Saudi forces bomb Yemen's capital Sanaa and other sites
Yemeni government forces also launch full offensive to retake territory: over 500 killed, 18,000 displaced in one week
Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have engaged in what amounts to an all-out battle for control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the gateway to the Red Sea. The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively blocked amid the fallout from the war between the US and Iran. Both sides are now locked in a fight neither can afford to lose over the Bab al-Mandab Strait — a lifeline Saudi Arabia must secure to keep its oil exports flowing.
According to Reuters, AFP and other foreign wire services, the Houthi rebels used drones and missiles Tuesday (local time) to strike four cities in southern Saudi Arabia. The targeted cities were Khamis Mushait, Abha, Najran and Jizan. The targets included a Saudi air base and key refining and power facilities belonging to state oil company Saudi Aramco.
Saudi authorities said the attack wounded at least 73 people, including women and children. It marked the largest strike on Saudi soil since the war between the US and Iran broke out in February.
Satellite images from NASA showed thick black smoke rising from a refinery in Jizan and an oil distribution center in Abha.
The Saudi-led coalition retaliated, vowing to eliminate the source of the threat. Coalition Spokesperson Turki al-Malki declared, "We will respond decisively to deter the terrorist militia." Saudi fighter jets carried out immediate retaliatory strikes on Houthi-held Zuba, east of the Yemeni capital Sanaa, and on the southwestern Taiz region.
In the days before this exchange, Saudi Arabia had carried out extensive airstrikes and missile attacks on Houthi strongholds across Yemen. The strikes aimed to stop the rebels from seizing control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
At the time, the Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out up to 121 airstrikes on Thursday, launching from the Khamis Mushait and Taif air bases to hit Marib, al-Bayda, Hodeidah, Taiz and al-Jawf.
The Houthis said the attack particularly struck the central prison in al-Hazm, al-Jawf province, causing numerous casualties, including women and children who had come to visit inmates. Footage from the scene, released by Houthi-linked broadcaster Al-Masirah TV, showed rescue workers digging through rubble with their bare hands to recover bodies.
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan said the door to diplomacy remained open, but that his country was prepared to defend itself.
Speaking at a joint news conference with his Russian counterpart in Moscow, he said, "Saudi Arabia will always support peace and diplomatic solutions," adding, "We will not hesitate to take the necessary measures to defend ourselves, protect our interests and ensure the security and stability of our brotherly nation, Yemen."
Yemen's civil war between the Houthi rebels and the Saudi-led coalition had simmered at a low level for years. It took a sharp turn for the worse after the Houthis declared an end to the truce last month, and the conflict is now escalating into an all-out war. Casualties have surged as the Houthis have stepped up military action to tighten their grip on the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Yemeni government forces — backed by Saudi Arabia and based in the south — have launched a sweeping ground offensive on multiple fronts to retake all Houthi-held territory.
Citing Houthi and Yemeni government sources, AFP said more than 500 people were killed on both sides over the past week. According to AFP's tally, 216 Yemeni government troops and 278 Houthi fighters have died so far, along with at least 29 civilians.
As fierce fighting has raged, the International Organization for Migration counted more than 18,500 people displaced along Yemen's western coast over the past three days alone.
The all-out clashes between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, combined with the ongoing military standoff between the US and Iran in the Gulf, are deepening a global energy crisis.
In particular, Houthi attacks on oil infrastructure and oil tankers are piling pressure on Saudi Arabia, the world's largest crude oil exporter. The rebels declared a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia in July and began attacking Saudi vessels. This dealt a further blow to Saudi oil exports that were already reeling from Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Brent crude soared to $99.46 a barrel on Tuesday, as news of the fighting spread, threatening to breach the $100 mark.
yckim6452@heraldcorp.com
