Pakistan, July 25 -- Yemen's Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for a missile strike on Saudi Arabia, marking a further escalation in the widening Middle East conflict as regional tensions continue to intensify.

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The group announced the alleged attack early Saturday, saying a missile struck the southern Saudi city of Jizan on the Red Sea, causing fires. Saudi authorities did not immediately confirm the claim, although the kingdom's civil defence briefly issued precautionary warnings for residents in Jizan and Yanbu before lifting them minutes later.

The latest development comes a day after Saudi Arabia carried out airstrikes on Houthi military targets in Yemen's Hodeida provinc...