RIYADH: The Arab coalition said on Monday it intercepted a ballistic missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi militia toward Khamis Mushait and a booby-trapped drone headed toward the southern region in Saudi Arabia.
The coalition said that “the Houthi militia commits grave mistakes and horrific violations of international humanitarian law,” adding that it is “dealing with these violation in accordance with international humanitarian law.
The United States on Monday condemned the attack on Saudi oil facilities, saying the Houthis needed to show seriousness about US-backed peace efforts.
“We condemn the egregious Houthi drone and missile attack against Saudi Aramco facilities,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.
“The frequency of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia — attacks like these — are not the actions of a group that is serious about peace,” he said, adding that the attacks were “unacceptable” and put civilians at risk, including Americans.
“The Houthis, in our view and in the view of our allies and partners, have to demonstrate their willingness to engage in a political process. They need to, quite simply, stop attacking and start negotiating.”
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki also on Monday said that the Biden administration remains alarmed by escalating attacks on Saudi Arabia, and that the Kingdom faces “genuine security threats” from the Iran-backed Houthi militia and elsewhere in the region.
“We of course continue to work in close cooperation with the Saudis, given the threat,” Psaki told a daily news briefing.
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‘Alarm in White House’ over escalating attacks on Saudi Arabia
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The United Nations also condemned the drone and ballistic missile attacks, claimed by the Houthis, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
“We urge all parties to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law,” he told reporters. “It’s really quite simple — such actions are detrimental to the mediation efforts being carried out by our special envoy Martin Griffiths.”
Britain’s ambassador to the Kingdom, Neil Crompton, said : “We condemn these reckless Houthi attacks on civilian targets and infrastructure, at a time when the UN, with Saudi and international support, intensifies its efforts to negotiate a cease-fire and resume talks on a political settlement.”
(With Reuters and AFP)
