Houthis Vow Retaliation Against Saudi Arabia After Strikes on Hodeida

Yemen’s Houthi rebel group has vowed to retaliate against Saudi Arabia after accusing the kingdom of targeting civilian infrastructure. The threat of reprisal came amid a widening of the Middle Eastern conflict across the region. Riyadh struck Houthi military targets in Hodeida on Friday, after the Iran-backed group announced a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia and attacked its vessels. Houthi media reported that two people were injured. “The targeting of civilian facilities by the Saudi enemy in Hodeida and Kamaran Island is a dangerous escalation,” Ansarollah media, a Houthi outlet, wrote on Telegram. “We affirm that this recent crime will not go unanswered.” A Yemeni security source said the Saudi-led coalition strikes hit a naval base in Hodeida and a military camp on Kamaran Island. Residents of Hodeida reported hearing explosions, including near the port. Saudi-led coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said the strikes targeted Houthi military sites used to threaten commercial shipping, and that the military response had concluded. The Houthis have been at war with the Yemeni government since 2014, in a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands. The recent exchange of fire threatens the 2022 ceasefire that has largely held.