73 wounded, operations at Saudi energy facilities halted in latest Houthi attacks

• Houthi strikes in Saudi Arabia wounded 73 people, targeting civilian and economic sites including Abha Airport and Aramco facilities, prompting a coalition vow to respond.
• Intense fighting near Yemen's Red Sea coast has caused over 300 deaths and displaced hundreds as Houthis push to control land near the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait.
• The conflict reignited in July, with Houthis advancing towards key areas, while Saudi-led coalition and government forces continue to clash with the Iran-backed rebels controlling much of Yemen's major cities.

SANAA, Yemen – Operations at some energy facilities in Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, were halted on Sept 8 following attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis that left at least 73 people wounded in what the Saudi authorities described as a “dangerous escalation”.

Fires erupted at the sites, and several people were injured as firefighting and other emergency teams rushed to contain the blazes and assess the damage, the Saudi energy ministry said.

The flare-up in violence between Saudi Arabia and the militant group came as tensions mounted between the United States and Iran and the wider Middle East conflict sent oil prices soaring with diplomatic negotiations stalling.

Brent crude futures rose US$1 to US$98 a barrel after the Saudi energy ministry statement, while US crude futures rose over US$2 to US$93.65 a barrel.

The Houthi military spokesman announced what he described as a broad offensive against Saudi Arabia, targeting oil giant Aramco’s facilities in Abha, Najran and Jizan, as well as an air base in Khamis Mushait, with ballistic missiles and drones.

On Sept 7, the Financial Times newspaper said Aramco’s Jazan oil facilities were hit in new strikes, and the damage was being assessed.

Days of fighting near the Red Sea coast have left more than 300 people dead and displaced hundreds of families as the Houthis try to capture land bordering the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait.

The Saudi-led coalition vowed to respond firmly to the latest outbreak of hostilities, saying the latest escalation was “dangerous”.

The Saudi energy ministry said concerned authorities were dealing with the repercussions of the attacks.

“The needed measures will be taken to ensure the safety of the facilities and workers and the continuation of work according to the approved operational plans,” the ministry said.

Ministry spokesman Yahya Saree said on Sept 7 that Riyadh took “escalatory steps” by conducting air strikes on Yemen, and warned that the latest strikes would not go unanswered.

The strikes came after the Houthis accused Riyadh on Sept 7 of carrying out strikes around Yemen, including the deadly bombardment of a prison.

The attack on the jail in Al-Hazm in the country’s north killed 11 people and left 20 inmates missing under the rubble, rebel TV channel Almasirah quoted Hassan Saboula, director-general of civil defence in Jawf province, as saying.

Saba news agency, which is affiliated with the Houthi movement, reported earlier that a child visiting the facility was among the dead.

The Houthis launched a broad offensive along frontlines on the western Red Sea coast in a bid to advance towards the Bab al-Mandab Strait, experts say.

The waterway forms the southern entrance to the Red Sea, a shipping artery that has become vital for Saudi oil exports during Tehran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the US-Iran war on Iran.

The war in Yemen between government forces and the Iran-backed Houthis reignited in July, following several years of calm.

The conflict, which has pitted the Houthis against the internationally recognised government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, has seen the rebels take over most of Yemen’s major population centres, including the capital Sanaa. REUTERS, AFP