Yemen’s Houthis claim responsibility for attacks on two Saudi airports

By Rédaction Africanews with agencies

Saudi Arabia said three civilians have been killed and 36 people injured in attacks on two of its airports in Riyadh, which Yemen’s Houthi’s have claimed responsibility for.

The two incidents on Tuesday and Wednesday targeted the capital’s Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airports.

Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said it attacked the facilities with ballistic missiles and drones in “response to the Saudi aggression” against Yemen.

Saudi’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said it is working with the “relevant security authorities” to assess damage at the airports and ensure the safety of passengers and workers.

The assaults mark an escalation in the renewed war between Yemen’s Saudi-backed international-recognised government forces and the Iran-backed Houthis.

Fighting continues in the country, with the authorities saying the Houthis launched ballistic missiles and drones against Aden airport early on Wednesday.

There were no reports of casualties at the facility, which is the main international gateway for parts of Yemen outside of Houthi control.

The civil war has worsened in recent weeks, after the Houthis, who control most of the north-west of the country, seized strategically important parts of the Red Sea coast.

Kuwait, Syria, Egypt, and the Muslim World League have condemned Houthi attacks on airports in Saudi Arabia that killed and wounded dozens of civilians.

The United Nations says that since Yemen’s civil war reignited in July, more than 200,000 people have been displaced within the country.