RIYADH/SANAA, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Fighting between Yemen's Houthis and government forces intensified on Sunday, as a Houthi attack injured six people in Saudi Arabia and Egypt pledged support to the kingdom amid rising regional tensions.
INJURIES, DAMAGES IN SAUDI ARABIA
The Saudi Civil Defense said Sunday that six Saudi citizens were injured, and three houses and three vehicles were damaged after a projectile launched by Yemen's Houthi group struck a residential area in Najran, southern Saudi Arabia.
The civil defense noted that attempts to target civilian objects constitute a "flagrant violation of international humanitarian law."
In separate statements earlier on Sunday, Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Turki Al-Maliki said three drones were intercepted and destroyed, two over the Riyadh region and one over the Eastern Province. He also confirmed that two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis targeting the southwestern Saudi city of Khamis Mushait were intercepted and destroyed.
INTENSIFIED FIGHTING IN YEMEN
Fighting between the Houthis and forces aligned with Yemen's internationally recognized government has intensified on several fronts.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement posted on social media platform X that a total of 110 strikes targeted areas in Sanaa and the provinces of Hodeidah, Taiz and Marib over the past 24 hours, leaving more than 30 people killed or injured.
There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia or the Saudi-led coalition on the Houthi claims.
Majid Al-Nuzaili, spokesperson for the government forces, said in a statement posted on X that the government forces had carried out 1,326 strikes against Houthi targets across several battlefronts over the past 24 hours, as they pressed ahead with a major offensive against the group.
Government troops and allied fighters captured several positions in the southwestern province of Taiz and seized heavy weapons and other military equipment, according to Al-Nuzaili.
The spokesperson claimed that "about 370 Houthi fighters had been neutralized" and dozens of military vehicles destroyed during the operations.
The figures could not be independently verified, and the Houthis have not immediately commented on the claims.
EGYPT PLEDGES SUPPORT
The escalating hostilities between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia continue to raise growing concerns across the region.
Egypt's National Defense Council decided on Sunday, during a meeting chaired by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, to provide Saudi Arabia with "all necessary and possible" forms of support to defend the kingdom's security and stability, the Egyptian presidency said.
The council pledged to help safeguard the kingdom's resources, territorial integrity and Islamic holy sites, according to the presidency's statement, adding that the "escalating" attacks against the Kingdom were unacceptable.
Meanwhile, the council decided to continue and intensify political and diplomatic efforts, in coordination with relevant regional and international parties, to contribute to "de-escalating tensions across the entire region and achieving peaceful resolutions to ongoing regional crises."
On Saturday, Sisi said Egypt was prepared to take "any measures" requested by Saudi Arabia to defend the kingdom's security and sovereignty, calling for an emergency parliamentary session to authorize intervention if requested.
On Sunday, the House of Representatives concluded its session, chaired by House of Representatives Speaker Hisham Badawi, with deliberations set to resume on Monday, according to the local news website Masrawy.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Sunday on X that he and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah Al Saud discussed current regional developments and the importance of de-escalation during a phone call.
President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan received Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, with the two sides exchanging views on regional developments and ways to strengthen security and stability and achieve lasting peace in the region, the Emirates News Agency reported.
Also on Sunday, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi called for effective international action to halt Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia at a meeting of the GCC Ministerial Council in the Bahraini capital Manama.
In the final communique issued after the meeting, the GCC reaffirmed its full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and support for all measures taken by the kingdom to safeguard its sovereignty, security and interests, stressing that the security of GCC member states is indivisible. ■
