Houthis Attack Saudi Cities; 73 Wounded, Coalition Says

Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree accused Saudi Arabia of launching airstrikes and "committing massacres" in Jawf, of flying a reconnaissance drone and of supplying mercenaries with weaponry. "The ongoing Saudi aggression against Yemen will not go unanswered or unpunished," he said. Saree said later Monday that Houthi forces had downed four Saudi reconnaissance drones in 24 hours, including one spotted Monday morning over Bayda province.

Turki al-Malki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, called Tuesday's attacks "senseless" and said they targeted civilian and economic sites, calling them "a blatant violation of the Kingdom's sovereignty and a direct threat to the security and safety of its citizens and residents." He said the coalition "will take all necessary operational measures to deter this terrorist militia and resolutely confronts its hostile approach."

Nasr al-Din Amer, a member of the Houthi politburo, said on Telegram that the group's "ongoing, in-depth response far exceeds what is being circulated on social media and is much broader."

Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special envoy for Yemen, warned Monday that the Houthi assault had "triggered increasingly intense clashes, threatening to further expand the conflict." He added: "A return to sustained large-scale fighting will carry grave consequences for civilians and make an already difficult path toward a political settlement even harder."