Houthi Attacks in Saudi Arabia Trigger Oil Facility Fires, Leave 73 Injured

September 8, 2026

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia faced a fresh wave of Houthi attacks early Tuesday, with strikes targeting civilian and economic facilities in the kingdom’s southern region. The attacks sparked fires at several oil facilities and utilities and injured 73 people, including women and children, according to Saudi authorities.

The latest strikes mark a sharp escalation between the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen and Saudi Arabia, which has backed Yemen’s internationally recognised government during the country’s long-running civil war.

73 injured in strikes across southern Saudi Arabia

Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Maj Gen Turki al-Malki said the attacks targeted what he described as “civilian and economic facilities” in Abha, Jazan, Najran and Khamis Mushait.

According to al-Malki, 73 people were wounded in the attacks, including women and children. He did not provide details about the nature or severity of the injuries.

The strikes also triggered fires at several oil facilities and utility installations in southern Saudi Arabia. Authorities have not yet released a detailed assessment of the damage.

Al-Malki described the attacks as a “serious escalation” and a violation of Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, warning that the Saudi-led coalition would take measures against the Houthi militia.

Houthis signal further military operation

The Houthis have not officially commented on the attacks. However, the group indicated that it was preparing to issue a statement about what it called a “large-scale military operation” deep inside Saudi Arabia.

Nasruddin Amer, deputy head of the Houthi media office overseeing the rebel-run Saba news agency, appeared to celebrate the attacks in a social media post.

He said Saudi Arabia would face consequences for what he described as its actions against the Yemeni people.

Attacks follow alleged Saudi strike in Yemen

The latest Houthi strikes came hours after the rebels accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out an airstrike on a prison in Yemen’s northern Jawf province.

The Houthis claimed the strike hit a prison in Hazem, killing at least seven people, including a child, and injuring seven others. The claim has not been independently verified.

The escalation comes amid renewed fighting between Houthi forces and Saudi-backed government forces in Yemen, with the conflict intensifying across several fronts.

Four-year Yemen truce under strain

The renewed violence has effectively shattered a four-year period of relative calm in parts of Yemen. Heavy fighting has been reported along multiple fronts, including the country’s western coast.

Yemeni government forces have claimed territorial gains in Hodeida, Taiz and Baydah, while the Houthis have continued attacks targeting Saudi oil infrastructure and tankers operating in the Red Sea.

The latest developments have raised fresh concerns over regional security as well as energy and shipping routes.

How Yemen’s civil war began

Yemen’s civil war erupted in 2014 after Houthi forces seized the capital, Sanaa, and took control of large parts of northern Yemen, forcing the internationally recognised government into exile.

In 2015, a Saudi-led coalition intervened militarily to support the government and push back the Houthi advance. The conflict went on to become one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, causing widespread displacement, food insecurity and civilian suffering.

Saudi-UAE tensions

The Yemen conflict has also been complicated by tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which had previously been key members of the coalition supporting Yemen’s government.

Their differences over the Yemen war intensified earlier this year, eventually leading to the UAE’s withdrawal from Yemen and adding another layer to the country’s complex conflict.