A Pakistani civilian was among 11 people injured in a Houthi assault on southern Saudi Arabia on Thursday, a military official confirmed, as Riyadh cautioned about imminent coordinated attacks by the Houthis and Iran-supported Iraqi militias.
Major General Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen’s internationally recognized government, stated early Friday that the attack in Najran Province resulted in injuries to seven Saudi nationals, one Yemeni, two Egyptians, and one Pakistani. Among the wounded was a four-year-old child who sustained second-degree burns. Maliki condemned the Iran-aligned Houthis for indiscriminately shelling civilian areas, violating international humanitarian law, and affirmed the coalition’s commitment to protecting civilians through all necessary measures.
In a significant development, Riyadh is intensifying security collaboration with key allies while highlighting an expanding regional threat posed by Iran-backed groups. Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan were scheduled to sign a defense agreement in the kingdom on Friday, though details of the pact have not been disclosed. Saudi Arabia already maintains a defense cooperation agreement with Pakistan. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, accompanied by Field Marshal Asim Munir, while Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan was expected to arrive on Friday.
There has been no immediate reaction from the Houthis or Iran, as the ongoing five-month conflict between the US-Israel coalition and Tehran complicates Saudi Arabia’s security strategy. The decade-long Saudi conflict with the Houthis has increasingly intertwined with the broader regional war. Houthi activities, including a blockade of the Red Sea that has disrupted Saudi oil exports, have escalated tensions in the wider confrontation.
A senior Saudi official, speaking anonymously, revealed that intelligence from Saudi, US, and other Middle Eastern agencies indicates that the Houthis and Iraqi militias supervised by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps may soon launch coordinated attacks targeting Saudi civilian sites such as energy infrastructure, ports, and airports.
The official described the threats as alarming but noted that Riyadh continues to support de-escalation and diplomatic efforts with Iran, which appear to be progressing positively. It was suggested that the planned attacks might aim to undermine ongoing diplomacy. Saudi-US cooperation remains robust at all levels, including operational coordination with US Central Command, and Saudi Arabia is prepared to respond decisively to any aggression.
The Houthis claimed responsibility on Tuesday for an attack on Najran airport, part of a broader escalation involving strikes on Saudi military, infrastructure, and shipping targets. Additionally, they killed over 30 Yemeni government troops on Thursday following attacks on Saudi military deployments in Yemen’s Marib and Hadramout provinces.
On July 29, Saudi Arabia announced it had conducted strikes alongside US Central Command against Iran-backed groups in Iraq, blaming them for drone attacks on its oil facilities. Iraqi militias have vowed retaliation against these Saudi strikes.
