RIYADH: A Pakistani national was among 11 civilians injured in a Houthi attack in southern Saudi Arabia on Thursday, Saudi military officials said, as Riyadh warned of possible coordinated attacks by Iran-backed groups targeting the kingdom.
Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Major General Turki al-Maliki said the attack in Najran Province wounded seven Saudi nationals, one Yemeni, two Egyptians and one Pakistani. A four-year-old child was also among the injured, suffering second-degree burns.
Maliki accused the Iran-aligned Houthis of indiscriminately targeting civilian areas in violation of international humanitarian law and said the coalition would continue taking all necessary measures to protect civilians.
The attack comes as Saudi Arabia steps up regional security coordination amid growing concerns over threats posed by Iran-backed groups. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye are expected to sign a defence agreement in Riyadh on Friday, according to two regional sources, although details of the proposed pact have not yet been disclosed.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Saudi Arabia on Thursday on an official visit, accompanied by Field Marshal Asim Munir, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is also expected to join the high-level meetings.
Neither the Houthis nor Iran immediately commented on the latest attack. The incident comes amid the continuing US-Israeli conflict with Tehran, which has heightened regional tensions and complicated Saudi Arabia’s security environment.
A senior Saudi official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said intelligence shared by Saudi Arabia, the United States and other regional partners indicated that the Houthis and Iran-backed Iraqi militias could soon launch coordinated attacks on Saudi energy facilities, airports, ports and other civilian infrastructure under the supervision of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The official said Saudi Arabia remained committed to diplomacy and efforts to de-escalate regional tensions, but warned that the anticipated attacks appeared aimed at undermining ongoing mediation efforts.
He added that Saudi-US security cooperation remained at a very high level, including operational coordination with US Central Command, and said the kingdom was fully prepared to respond to any aggression.
The Houthis had earlier claimed responsibility for an attack on Najran Airport on Tuesday as part of an escalating campaign targeting Saudi military installations, infrastructure and shipping routes. On Thursday, the group also claimed attacks on Saudi-backed military positions in Yemen’s Marib and Hadramout provinces, where more than 30 Yemeni government troops were reportedly killed.
The latest developments follow Saudi Arabia’s July 29 strikes, conducted alongside US Central Command, against Iran-backed groups in Iraq after Riyadh blamed them for drone attacks on its oil facilities. Iraqi militias have since vowed retaliation, raising fears of a wider regional escalation.
