Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia wounds 11, including a child, as kingdom warns of escalation

Saudi Arabia reported 11 wounded in Houthi strikes, including a Saudi woman and a four-year-old child. The Houthis claimed attacks on Najran Airport and Saudi troops, while Yemeni government sources reported 30 troops killed. Saudi officials warned of potential attacks from Iran-backed militias in Iraq.

Saudi Arabia reported that 11 people were wounded in Houthi strikes, according to the Saudi Press Agency early Friday, citing the Saudi-led coalition. The wounded included one Yemeni, two Egyptians, one Pakistani, and seven Saudis, among them a woman and a four-year-old child. The Houthis had claimed on Tuesday to have struck Najran Airport in response to Saudi drone incursions over Yemen, and on Thursday claimed to have hit Saudi troops in border areas with ballistic missiles and drones, saying hundreds of Saudi-aligned fighters were killed or wounded. Yemeni government sources, however, reported 30 of their troops killed in attacks on military camps in Marib and Hadramout, and later mourned 17 soldiers and one officer. A Saudi official warned of potential attacks from Iran-backed militias in Iraq, possibly targeting civilian and economic sites, based on intelligence from Saudi Arabia, the US, and other countries. The official said an attack could derail diplomatic negotiations. Saudi Arabia had struck Iran-backed groups in Iraq on July 29 following alleged attacks on its oil facilities. Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan are expected to sign a joint defense agreement on Friday.