According to Reuters report dated September 8 local time, Houthi militants attacked four cities in southern Saudi Arabia that day, causing 73 people to be injured and setting fire to local oil facilities. The report states that Saudi Arabia, an ally of the United States, being attacked this time may signify a significant escalation in the six-month-long Middle Eastern war.
The Houthi militants, who control the capital Sanaa in Yemen and most of the population's residential areas in the country, have stated that they carried out a large-scale military operation deep into Saudi territory. They used drones and missiles to attack a Saudi Air Force base in the southern city of Haimis Mousheret, as well as a target belonging to Saudi Aramco near Abha, close to the Yemeni border at Nadi'lan. The attack also targeted Giza, a major port city on the Red Sea, which has large refineries and power plants.
Saudi officials said that the attack caused fires at several locations, and 73 people were injured, including women and children.
Reuters pointed out that the large number of casualties indicates that this attack could be one of the largest incidents faced by Saudi Arabia since the military actions taken by the United States and Israel against Iran in February this year.
According to reports, due to Saudi Arabia's strict control over the media, it is currently impossible to verify the scenes of the attack, and journalists have been unable to contact any witnesses. Houthi forces posted images of thick smoke and explosions, claiming that these were Saudi trucks they struck during an attack in another border area further east on September 7th. Media controlled by Houthi forces subsequently reported that Saudi warplanes carried out four air strikes in the Juba region east of Yemen’s capital Sanaa on that day.
According to reports from the Houthi faction, video screenshots of the attack scenes
After a month of calm in August, tensions in the Gulf region have risen again. There has been fighting between Iran and the United States, and global oil prices have thus recovered to levels since July.
On September 8, the price of Brent crude oil rose by more than 2%, breaking through $99 per barrel. Reuters noted that the Houla militant attack on Saudi Arabia's southwestern region could further exacerbate the impact of the war on the global economy by disrupting energy supplies in the Middle East. Moreover, this impact could extend beyond the blocked Strait of Hormuz.
Saudi-led Arab coalition forces and the Houthi armed group have been fighting in Yemen for over a decade. In recent years, the situation has become somewhat calm, but the ceasefire has broken down. The Houthi armed group also threatens shipping near the entrance to the Red Sea. At the same time, the International Organization of Migration (IOM) stated that during the past three days, conflicts along the western coast of Yemen have forced more than 18,500 people to flee their homes.
