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Houthis Strike Saudi Arabia, Escalating Yemen Conflict
· Confirmed
In Short: Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi said Egypt would take any measures necessary to defend Saudi Arabia if requested, amid escalating Houthi attacks on the kingdom, reported Al Jazeera (Qatar) and Timesofisrael (Israel).
Houthi rebels in Yemen have launched a missile attack on the al-AIam military camp in southern Yemen, killing at least 53 people, according to local authorities reported by Al Jazeera (Qatar).
Government forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, responded with a counteroffensive and launched the “Dawn of Yemen” operation to recapture Houthi-held territory, including the capital Sanaa, which the Iran-aligned group seized in 2014, as per Al Jazeera (Qatar).
The civil war between the Saudi-backed government and Houthis had eased after a 2022 truce, but the regional impact of this year’s US-Israel war on Iran reignited hostilities, according to Al Jazeera (Qatar).
Houthis claim responsibility for the attack on the military camp, targeting what they call a ‘Saudi-backed’ military base, reported Al Jazeera (Qatar).
Houthis have also stepped up attacks on Saudi Arabia, including on Riyadh’s international airport and the state oil company Aramco, according to Al Jazeera (Qatar) and Business Insider Africa.
Saudi Arabia’s Department of Foreign Affairs is coordinating with Saudi authorities to provide necessary medical care and assistance, as reported by Arabnews (Saudi Arabia).
More than 10 years have passed since the conflict began in 2015, but the Houthis still control large parts of Yemen, according to Bhaskarenglish (India).
The United Nations Security Council condemned the Houthis’ continuing attacks on Saudi Arabia, saying they had caused civilian casualties, including women and children, and damaged energy infrastructure, according to Al Jazeera (Qatar).
Houthis have claimed Saudi Arabia carried out 26 attacks against areas under their control in the past 24 hours, as reported by Al Jazeera (Qatar).
Yemen’s government, backed by Saudi Arabia, said its forces had killed 30 Houthi rebels and wounded more than 60 in clashes in the al-Waziiyah district of Taiz province, according to Al Jazeera (Qatar).
The escalation has drawn in Washington, with US officials meeting Houthi representatives at the US embassy in the Omani capital, Muscat, over the weekend, as reported by Al Jazeera (Qatar).
What this adds
The conflict between the Saudi-backed government and Houthis had eased after a 2022 truce, but the regional impact of this year’s US-Israel war on Iran reignited hostilities, according to Al Jazeera (Qatar).
The market is now fully braced for Brent crude to trade above $100/barrel on a sustained basis, as Saudi Arabia has halted operations at several southern energy facilities after attacks triggered fires and caused injuries, according to Fxstreet.
Background
Houthi rebels in Yemen have launched missile attacks on Saudi Arabia, killing dozens and disrupting flights, according to Al Jazeera (Qatar) and Arabnews (Saudi Arabia).
Saudi Arabia and its allies condemned Houthi rebels' attacks, with Saudi Arabia calling for international support to address the threat to regional stability.
What's confirmed
- The Houthis, meanwhile, have stepped up attacks on Saudi Arabia, including on Riyadh’s international airport and the state oil company Aramco.
What's still developing
- Houthis launch ballistic missiles at camp in southern governorate during training exercise, government forces spokesman says.
- “Targeting recruits reflects the Houthi militia’s approach of resorting to terrorist attacks when under pressure,” he said.
- On Monday, Saudi authorities sent alerts to residents of the capital Riyadh warning of “a hostile aerial threat”.
- Speaking at a graduation ceremony at the Egyptian Military Academy on Saturday, October 17, al-Sisi said Egypt was prepared to intervene if requested by Saudi Arabia, but stressed that any action would require parliamentary approval.
- One of Saudi Arabia’s most iconic skyscrapers ordered office workers to stay home Sunday as escalating attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels rattled the capital of Riyadh amid fears of a widening Middle East conflict.
- That the Houthis are able to score hits from 500 miles away, despite the Saudi military spending tens of billions of dollars on multi-layered air defense systems, has puzzled experts.
- "We think the escalation by the Houthis at this later stage of the conflict is encouraged by Iran," Rayed Krimly, deputy minister for public diplomacy at the foreign ministry, told journalists on Friday, in a rare public statement.
- The US Embassy in Saudi Arabia on Monday urged American citizens to remain “vigilant” over the current security situation and the potential for drone or missile attacks, Anadolu reports.
- Samy Magdy, Associated Press Samy Magdy, Associated Press CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's top security body said Sunday it has agreed to support close ally Saudi Arabia in the major escalation of fighting between the kingdom and Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, which has marked the latest front in the Iran war.
- Last month, as the Houthis intensified their attacks on Saudi territory and the kingdom’s Yemeni allies, the prince called Trump multiple times in September, urging him to launch US airstrikes against the Houthis, who are allied with Iran.
- The market is now fully braced for Brent crude to trade above $100/barrel on a sustained basis." "Saudi Arabia has halted operations at several southern energy facilities after attacks triggered fires and caused injuries, escalating risks to regional oil supply.
- New Delhi, Oct 14: A missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi movement struck a building belonging to Saudi Arabia’s state oil company Aramco in the eastern city of Dhahran overnight, escalating the confrontation between the Iran-backed group and the Saudi-led coalition, the BBC reported.