RIYADH: Saudi air defenses destroyed explosive drones by Yemen’s Houthi militia targeting Abha airport and Najran, both located in southern Saudi Arabia.
The militia has continued to target the Kingdom on a near daily basis, often selecting civilian targets in the south of the country.
Houthi attempts to target civilians has been labeled as war crimes by the Kingdom.
Meanwhile, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Nayef Al-Hajraf condemned the two attempts by the Iran-backed Houthis “to endanger the lives of travelers and civilians,” describing them as cowardly terrorist acts, a war crime and a grave violation of international humanitarian law.
Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Yousef Al-Othaimeen also strongly condemned the attacks.
The GCC and OIC affirmed their support for all measures taken by the Kingdom to confront the militia’s practices to preserve it’s security and stability and the safety of citizens and residents on it’s territory.
Bahrain also issued a similar statement.
The militia has attacked civilian infrastructure in the past including the international airports in Abha and Jazan.
The Arab coalition has been supporting the internationally recognized Yemeni government regain full control of the country after the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014.
In March, Saudi Arabia announced a roadmap called the Riyadh Initiative to halt fighting in Yemen and reopen Sanaa airport, as well as continuing talks to find a solution to the conflict. The proposal was seen as a welcome step internationally, but has been rejected by Houthi leadership.
Fighting in Marib province has claimed thousands of lives, among both government and Houthi forces. The resource-rich region has been heavily contested as the militia seek to strengthen their control of northern Yemen.
Saudi relief agency, KSrelief, has poured billions of dollars worth of aid into Yemen and has hundreds of projects focusing on food and health.
In July, The World Food Programme welcomed Saudi contributions to the fund saying humanitarian action in Yemen could not be sustained without it.
