Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia wounds 11 civilians as kingdom warns of wider threat

An attack by Yemen's Houthis on southern Saudi Arabia wounded 11 civilians on Thursday, a military official said, as the kingdom warned that coordinated attacks by the Houthis and Iran-backed Iraqi militias were imminent.

Major General Turki al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognised government, said early Friday the attack in southern Najran Province injured seven Saudis, one Yemeni, two Egyptians and one Pakistani national. The victims included a 4-year-old child who suffered second-degree burns.

Maliki accused the Iran-aligned Houthis of indiscriminately shelling civilian areas in violation of international humanitarian law and said the coalition would continue taking all necessary measures to protect civilians.

There was no immediate comment from the Houthis or Iran on the coalition's statement, as the five-month-old U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has complicated Saudi Arabia's security calculations.