News Desk
The News Desk provides timely and factual coverage of national and international events, with an emphasis on accuracy and clarity.
Smoke rises from a burning truck during what the Houthis say was an attack targeting trucks coming from Saudi territory, at Al-Wadiah border crossing near Al-Wadiah, on the Saudi-Yemen border, in this still image obtained from a handout video released on Sept 7, 2026.
Reuters
The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday condemned Houthi attacks on civilian and economic facilities in four southern Saudi Arabian cities that injured 73 people, including women and children. The strikes came as regional tensions continue to rise across multiple fronts.
Why did the UAE condemn the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia?
The UAE condemned the attacks because they targeted civilian and economic infrastructure in Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran, which Abu Dhabi called a "flagrant violation" of Saudi sovereignty. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the strikes threatened the kingdom's security and stability and reaffirmed its solidarity with Riyadh.
What did the Saudi-led coalition say about the attacks?
The Saudi-led military coalition said Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels launched a wave of missiles and drones that wounded 73 civilians across southern Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. Coalition spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki described the strikes as "senseless attacks" against civilian and economic infrastructure in the four cities.
The coalition called the barrage a "dangerous escalation" and a "flagrant violation" of Saudi sovereignty. Al-Malki said the Joint Forces Command would take "all necessary operational measures" to neutralize the threat and target launch sites with "utmost resolve."
What targets did the Houthis claim to hit?
Houthi-affiliated media outlet Ansarollah said the group launched long-range drones and missiles at specific military and energy installations. The group listed Abha International Airport, King Khalid Air Base near Khamis Mushait, and Saudi Aramco petroleum storage and refining facilities in Abha and Jizan as targets.
The UAE also condemned continued attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, warning that such strikes endanger the safety of maritime navigation. The southern Red Sea route has grown more important for Saudi petroleum exports amid Iran's ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in the wider US-Iran war.
How does this attack connect to the wider conflict in Yemen?
The renewed strikes followed Houthi claims Monday that a coalition airstrike hit the Central Corrective Facility in Hazm, in Yemen's northern Al-Jawf province, killing 11 people, including a visiting child. At least 20 inmates remained missing beneath the debris after that strike.
The attacks also came amid an intense multi-day ground offensive in southwestern Yemen, where fighting between government forces and Houthi rebels in Taiz governorate has killed more than 300 people. The rebels are seeking to sever supply lines to the port of Mokha and gain control of territory bordering the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Comments
See what people are discussing