New wave of Houthi missile strikes in southern Saudi Arabia, claims Iran's Press TV
Riyadh, September 14
Iranian state-owned Press TV on Monday claimed that a new wave of Houthi missile strikes was reported towards Saudi Arabia, with "strong explosions" rocking areas in the southern part of the country.
Al Jazeera reported that Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence issued and subsequently lifted a warning for residents in Khamis Mushait and Abha in the southwestern region for the second time within an hour.
Khamis Mushait and Abha are located in southwestern Saudi Arabia, near the border with Yemen.
The warnings came amid reported strikes by the Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen and large areas in the north. The group has been launching strikes towards Saudi Arabia since declaring a naval blockade against Riyadh in July, with strikes targeting Saudi vessels in the Red Sea, according to Al Jazeera.
Amid the ongoing strikes, hospitals along Yemen's western coast have been struggling to provide healthcare amid disruptions to the medical system, Al Jazeera reported.
Lou Cormack, Yemen Country Director at Doctors Without Borders, said there were "huge gaps" in the hospital system along Yemen's western coast.
"Over the weekend we've had the evacuation of all hospitals, and for a while the essential activities we managed to maintain in the Mocha general hospital were the only ones available," Cormack told Al Jazeera.
She said some hospitals had started to resume operations, but the healthcare system continued to face major shortages and was struggling to find staff to keep facilities running.
"We are seeing that some of the hospitals are starting to come back online, but the system still has huge gaps and we are trying to find people just to keep the hospitals running," Cormack said.
"It's a big population on the west coast and, like all communities, they need just everyday access to healthcare. Mums keep delivering, babies still keep getting sick, life just goes on, and if there's nowhere to access care then people can die as a result of that," she added
The tightening of the grip on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait by Iran-backed rebels comes as they target ships transiting for Saudi Arabian oil exports on a route which is an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, Al Jazeera reported.
On Sunday (local time), the militant group struck weapons depots and command and control rooms at the military base in Saudi Arabia's Sharurah region, Houthi's Yahya Saree said on X.
According to Al Jazeera, two people were injured in a Houthi strike along Saudi Arabia's border.
According to CBS News, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has asked US President Donald Trump to take military action against Houthis, which he reportedly declined.
These developments come as BRICS nations, including Saudi Arabia, Iran and the UAE, have called for peace in the region.
In the New Delhi declaration on Saturday, the BRICS nations expressed "deep concern over the continued escalation of tensions in West Asia" and called for "maximum restraint, as well as avoiding actions that could further aggravate the situation."
The nations also urged ensuring the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations in their entirety and interconnectedness, including respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the States.
BRICS called for dialogue and diplomacy towards a long-term understanding that will contribute to lasting peace, security and stability in the region and maintain the smooth flow of global trade, supply chains and energy, in accordance with applicable international law.
— ANI
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