India condemns Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia

NEW DELHI: India has condemned the latest missile and drone attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement on Saudi Arabia, stating that the strikes targeting civilian and economic infrastructure threaten regional stability and freedom of navigation along a key international maritime route.

Responding to a media query on the reported attacks, the External Affairs Ministry spokesperson said, “Such attacks that undermine regional security and stability and threaten freedom of navigation in the Bab-el-Mandeb are unacceptable.”

The remarks came after the Houthis launched dozens of drones and missiles at targets across southwestern Saudi Arabia , according to Saudi authorities.

The attacks struck the cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran, injuring 73 people, including women and children, Saudi officials said.

The strikes also triggered fires at oil facilities and other energy-sector installations, temporarily disrupting operations, according to Saudi Arabia’s military and energy ministry.

The attacks mark a significant escalation in a conflict that has repeatedly spilt beyond Yemen’s borders and threatened critical energy infrastructure and maritime trade routes.

Maj Gen Turki al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, said the Houthi attacks targeted civilian and economic sites. The Saudi-led coalition said it would respond to what it described as a “dangerous escalation”.

The Houthis, however, said the attacks were retaliation for recent Saudi air strikes on areas of northwestern Yemen under their control.

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Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea accused Saudi forces of carrying out more than 120 air strikes over three days across the Yemeni provinces of Marib, al-Bayda, Hudaydah, Taiz and Jawf.

Sarea described the Saudi campaign as “brutal aggression” and said the Houthis responded with “dozens of ballistic missiles and drones”, claiming they had caused “significant damage”. The claims could not be independently verified.

The latest exchange underscores the broader regional implications of the Yemen conflict and the Iran-US war. The Houthis have previously targeted Saudi territory and commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab-el-Mandeb, a strategic chokepoint connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and a vital route for global trade and energy shipments.

The escalation also comes amid heightened tensions involving Iran, the United States and their regional partners, adding to concerns that conflicts across the Middle East could become increasingly interconnected.