Saudi defenses foil Houthi attack on Abha airport
After Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed a booby-trapped march launched by the Houthi militia towards Abha International Airport this year, the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen announced that it had responded to the seventh attack by the Houthi militia against the airport (Wednesday).
In a statement, the coalition emphasized the Houthis’ severe violations of international law and targeting of people, as well as the need to act forcefully with sources of threats to safeguard civilians and civilian property from hostile assaults.
With yesterday’s strike, the Houthis have attempted to target Abha International Airport as a civilian facility seven times this year, out of a total of 15 times since the war in Yemen began.
Except for what was caused by the scattering of shrapnel as a result of the interception outside the airport borders, to human damage and minor material damage, the Saudi defenses were successful in confronting and neutralizing their threat to civilians and service operators on the airport grounds.
The Houthi militia frequently employs drones, whether booby-trapped or for reconnaissance, which, according to the UN Committee of Experts, are assembled from external components and infiltrate Yemeni territory via smuggling operations, and are nearly identical in design, dimensions, and capabilities of the drones.
Iranian-made, with some resembling the Iranian march “Ababeel T.”
The Houthi militia’s targeting of Abha airport has increased dramatically since a single strike last year, indicating the Houthis’ lack of commitment to the comprehensive cease-fire agreements in Yemen, according to Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.
They continue to threaten civilians, with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stressing during a joint press conference with his Austrian counterpart Alexander Schallenberg in Riyadh last Sunday that while the priority remains to bring peace to Yemen, the Kingdom will not hesitate to respond to any Houthi targets, given the continued threat to civilian facilities such as Abha International Airport and other areas in Saudi Arabia.
