Arab states condemn Houthi attack on Saudi airport

By Diana Shalhub

ISTANBUL (AA) - A number of Arab states and regional groups on Thursday denounced the targeting by Yemen’s Houthi rebel group of Saudi Arabia's Abha International Airport and considered such an attack a "blatant threat" to international peace and security.

The condemnations were made in official statements by the foreign ministries of Egypt, Kuwait, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Lebanon and Palestine along with statements by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League.

On Wednesday, the Saudi-led Arab coalition in Yemen said a civilian plane on the tarmac caught fire during the attack but the blaze had been brought under control.

“The UAV air force targeted the airfields of warplanes at Abha International Airport — which is used for military purposes to target the Yemeni people — with four drones,” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarie said on Twitter

The Bahraini Foreign Ministry condemned the attack, saying such attacks represent a "grave violation of international humanitarian law."

The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry said that continuing such attacks endangers security and stability in the region.

The UAE Foreign Ministry considered the targeting of the airport a "dangerous violation and a cowardly act that threatens the lives of civilians and passengers."

Jordan’s Foreign Ministry described the airport’s targeting as a "terrorist attack,” while the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said it "stands with Saudi Arabia in confronting such terrorist attacks."

The Lebanese Foreign Ministry expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia in confronting any attack on its sovereignty.

The OIC’s statement said it fully stands with Saudi Arabia in all measures it takes to protect its territories.

The Arab League condemned what it described as a "dangerous escalation."

The Houthi group regularly announces rocket and drone attacks on Saudi territories, saying they are a reaction to the Saudi-led coalition’s assault on Yemen.

Yemen has been beset by violence and chaos since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital Sana’a.

The crisis escalated in 2015 when the Saudi-led coalition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the conflict in Yemen has so far claimed the lives of at least 233,000 people.

*Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara