Saudi Arabia gives all-clear in Khamis Mushait after major Houthi attacks

Saudi Arabia's Civil Defense gave the all-clear in the southern city of Khamis Mushait on Wednesday, September 9, after an earlier emergency warning, a day after a major wave of Houthi attacks struck Khamis Mushait and three other Saudi cities and wounded 73 civilians, including women and children.

Civil Defense urged residents to continue following official safety instructions, avoid gathering or filming and call 998 in an emergency. During the earlier warning, residents had been advised to move to safe areas inside buildings, stay away from windows and exposed areas, and remain indoors until the danger had passed.

Saudi authorities did not disclose what specifically prompted Wednesday's alert in Khamis Mushait, Reuters reported. The warning came one day after the Houthis said they had carried out a large-scale attack on targets in southern Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that civilian and economic sites in Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jizan and Najran had been targeted, leaving 73 civilians injured, including women and children. The kingdom condemned the attacks as a serious threat to regional security and stability.

Reuters reported that the Iran-aligned Houthis said they struck an airbase in Khamis Mushait as well as oil infrastructure in nearby cities. The attacks also set oil facilities ablaze and were among the largest strikes against Saudi Arabia since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began in February.

The Associated Press reported that ballistic missiles and drones were used in the attacks, which hit civilian, economic and energy sites across southern Saudi Arabia, including oil facilities in Jizan.

Fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis has intensified in recent months, raising fears of a broader return to conflict after a U.N.-brokered truce in 2022 largely halted years of direct hostilities.

Riyadh has accused the Houthis of escalating attacks against Saudi territory and commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The Houthis say their strikes are in response to Saudi military escalation in Yemen, while the Saudi-led coalition has said it will take measures to deter further attacks.