After the Saudis allegedly halted their air campaign against Yemen's Houthi rebels [7]on April 21 (allegedly because it promptly resumed the very next day [8]to almost no public announcement), the Yemen civil war and the "skirmishes" by Houthi rebels along the border with the world's biggest oil exporter were quickly forgotten. Until this morning, when the Saudi press and social media has been overrun with reports that the Saudi city of Najran was shelled by Houthi mortars, an attack which Saudi advisor to the armed forces Ahmed Asiri said "will not pass without a response".
From Al Riyadh [9], google translated:
Najran saw Tuesday afternoon fall of several mortar shells at different locations within the city, and according to sources «Riyadh», the number was 6 shells, targeting some civilian sites, government buildings and One landed on the housing guard compound for the memorization of the first Koran fifth Secondary School for Girls Schools hospitality district .
...
«Riyadh» attended some of those sites to monitor these explosions that caused a power outage in a number of districts of Najran city, and met with some of the citizens who have expressed their support with the leadership to deter Alhothin and ousted president rebels, saying they will not be intimidated by such random shells, said the compound guard citizen Yahya Dahmha I was surprised by the fall of the shell at my house in the compound and praise be to Allah that the home and the school was empty and I was on my way to bring up my daughter from high school, pointing out that this work will not scare them away and that the confidence of citizens in the state has no limits.
For his part, Brigadier corner Ahmed Asiri coalition spokesman and adviser forces confirmed in the defense minister's office that the militia al-Huthi targeted the border areas in Najran mortar, and said that what happened today is part of the chaos experienced by the militia al-Huthi, and that the situation now in Najran safe and the armed forces doing their job on the border to counter the attacks Huthi stressing that the work of today will not pass without a response.
The news was confirmed moments ago by Bloomberg which also quoted state-run television citing coalition spokesman Ahmed Asseri, who said - as noted above - that the attack won’t "pass without a response." All schools in the province bordering Yemen are now closed.
Further, according to unconfirmed Twitter reports there are been "many casualties" in the missile attack: an attack which appears quite senseless on the surface as it will simply "force" the Saudi national guard, already prepared for a land incursion [10], to enter Yemen. Unless of course, that was planned all along, and speculation emerges that this was merely the latest Middle Eastern false flag provocation.
12 hound missiles hit Saudi Alwatan newspaper office in Najran city on borders with North #Yemen [11] launched by Houthis pic.twitter.com/B3Q3dzzNYX [12]
— Nezar Naji Ali (@Alawlaqi2014) May 5, 2015 [13]
PT: As usual, events rapidly unfold/change: Report via @theodoreplang [14] of evacuation from Najran (HT @MartHumphreys [15]) https://t.co/ouyPt1fleJ [16]
— Miriam Goldman (@Miriam411) May 5, 2015 [17]
Brking News: Saudi Arabia southern city- Najran under bombardment from Houthis in #Yemen [11] & many casualties reported. pic.twitter.com/i1fUex9Edo [18]
— Nezar Naji Ali (@Alawlaqi2014) May 5, 2015 [19]
Brking News: Saudi Arabia southern city- Najran under bombardment from Houthis in #Yemen [11] & many casualties reported. pic.twitter.com/oXlBblmhGA [20]
— Nezar Naji Ali (@Alawlaqi2014) May 5, 2015 [21]
Photos via @SaudiNews24 [22] reportedly showing Najran post-mortars pic.twitter.com/v94eb0hZa4 [23]
— Miriam Goldman (@Miriam411) May 5, 2015 [24]
A Saudi response now appears just a matter of time, and one which the oil-trading algos are eagerly expecting, pushing Brent to within two dollars of $68.
h/t @FehmiOncel
