Saudi Arabia promised to retaliate against the Houthis, an Iran-backed militia based in Yemen, on Tuesday after the rebel group wounded at least 73 Saudi civilians in airstrikes.
The kingdom blamed the Houthis for the latest attacks on its energy infrastructure. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy said the attacks caused fires at some of its energy facilities, leading to a temporary halt in operations. The ministry added that it is taking steps to ensure the safety of the facilities and its personnel.
The Middle Eastern country condemned the wave of attacks, vowing to respond appropriately.
Maj. Gen. Turki al Maliki, a spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen, said the coalition would pursue “all necessary measures and actions to respond to the sources of the threat.” He described the attacks as a “dangerous escalation” of the decade-long fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.
The militia disputed the Saudi official’s framing of the strikes, with Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree saying they were retaliatory. He claimed Saudi Arabia launched 121 airstrikes in Yemen over the past three days, including one that killed seven people after striking a prison.
The kingdom has not commented on the Houthi spokesman’s accusation. Yemen assumed responsibility for some of the airstrikes on Monday, saying its military warplanes struck Houthi military reinforcements in the western part of the country.
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Saudi Arabia and the Houthis have been fighting for more than 11 years. Their clashes have overlapped with the broader war between Iran and the United States. The Houthis have aided Iran by firing missiles and drones at Israel and Saudi Arabia, as well as by threatening global shipping lanes in the Red Sea.
Many countries, including Pakistan and Qatar, stood in solidarity with Saudi Arabia by condemning the Houthis’ attacks for targeting Saudi energy facilities and injuring dozens of civilians.