Houthi rebels launch missile-drone attack on Saudi Arabia, threaten more

The conflict in Yemen has reached a serious new stage. Houthi rebels have claimed they carried out missile and drone strikes on military and other key sites inside Saudi Arabia. Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree said that if Saudi Arabia's military operations in Yemen do not stop, larger attacks will follow. He warned Saudi Arabia that this strike was only the beginning.

According to Saree, the Houthis fired dozens of ballistic missiles and drones targeting King Khalid Air Base in southern Saudi Arabia. The Houthis have previously carried out a series of attacks on military sites and energy sector facilities inside Saudi Arabia. The group says this attack is a response to Saudi-led operations in Yemen. However, there has been no separate, independent confirmation of the actual damage caused or whether all the missiles and drones fired reached their targets.

Fighting between Yemen's government forces and Houthi rebels has intensified again in recent days. Saudi Arabia backs Yemen's internationally recognised government, while the Houthi rebels control a large part of the country. The conflict is being made more serious by activity near the Red Sea coast and the key shipping route known as Bab-al-Mandeb, through which large numbers of merchant ships from around the world pass, making it unlikely that the impact of this conflict will stay confined to the two countries.

Saree issued a direct warning to Saudi Arabia, saying that if military action in Yemen continues, the scope of attacks on Saudi Arabia would be widened further. This has raised the risk of the conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis escalating further. There are concerns that the rising tension could affect Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure, shipping in the Red Sea and security across the Middle East. The energy market is already unsettled because of ongoing conflict in the region. Attention is now on how Saudi Arabia responds to this new threat from the Houthis and how further military action in Yemen unfolds.