Houthis target Saudi Arabia with new missile strikes; warnings issued in Abha, Khamis Mushait

A new wave of Houthi missile strikes was reported towards Saudi Arabia on Monday with Iranian stateowned Press TV claiming that strong explosions rocked areas in the southern part of the country news agency ANI reportedAccording to Al Jazeera Saudi Arabias 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 hourKhamis Mushait and Abha are located in southwestern Saudi Arabia near the border with YemenThe 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 JazeeraHospitals in Yemen struggle amid strikesThe ongoing escalation is also taking a toll on healthcare services in Yemen with hospitals along the countrys western coast struggling to provide medical care amid disruptions to the system Al Jazeera reportedLou Cormack Yemen Country Director at Doctors Without Borders said there were huge gaps in the hospital system along Yemens western coastOver the weekend wersquove 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 JazeeraShe 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 runningWe 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 saidItrsquos 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 therersquos nowhere to access care then people can die as a result of that she addedHouthis target Saudi military baseThe tightening of the grip on the Bab elMandeb Strait by Iranbacked 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 reportedOn Sunday local time the militant group struck weapons depots and command and control rooms at the military base in Saudi Arabias Sharurah region Houthirsquos Yahya Saree said on XAccording to Al Jazeera two people were injured in a Houthi strike along Saudi Arabias borderAccording to CBS News Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has asked US President Donald Trump to take military action against Houthis which he reportedly declinedBRICS calls for peace in West AsiaThese developments come as BRICS nations including Saudi Arabia Iran and the UAE have called for peace in the regionIn 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 situationThe 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 StatesBRICS called for dialogue and diplomacy towards a longterm 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 lawWith ANI inputs