Yemen rebels claim attack on Saudi airport

By Mohamed al-Samei
SANAA (AA) – Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed to have launched a drone attack on an airport in southern Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

Rebel spokesman Yahya Saree said an “important target” at the Abha International Airport was the focus on the drone attack, without giving any further details.

“The strike was accurate,” he said, vowing to pursue rebel attacks “as long as the aggression and blockade on Yemen continue”.

There was no comment from the Saudi-led coalition on the rebel claim.

The Houthis regularly announce rocket and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia's southern regions in retaliation to coalition attacks in Yemen.

On Saturday, the Saudi-led coalition said they had shot down six Houthi drones fired toward Saudi Arabia.

Yemen has been beset by violence and chaos since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital Sanaa. The crisis escalated in 2015 when the Saudi-led coalition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains.

More than 100,000 Yemenis, including civilians, are believed to have been killed in the conflict, which has led to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with millions at risk of starvation.

*Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara