12 civilians of various nationalities were wounded with debris and shrapnel when the drone was shot down over Abha International airport in Saudi Arabia, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk
Saudi Arabia’s air force has shot down a drone over Abha International airport in the country’s southwest, purportedly launched by Houthi rebels from Yemen, resulting in the injuries of 12 civilians by shrapnel.
12 civilians of various nationalities were wounded with debris and shrapnel when the drone was shot down over the airport in Saudi Arabia, reported Sputnik citing Saudi broadcaster Al-Ekhbariya.
Saudi led coalition earlier in the day said that four people were injured during the attack.
The coalition has also vowed to take decisive action in response to the attack.
Meanwhile, Houthis have called on Saudi citizens to avoid possible scenes of conflict, including Abha’s airport, which they called a military target, as reported by the Yemeni broadcaster Al Masirah on Thursday.
“Yemen’s army hit the target in Abha’s airport precisely, which is used to launch strikes against Yemen. Abha’s airport is a military object and our target, so we urge civilians to stay away from military objects,” Al Masirah said, citing Houthis’ army command.
On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden had spoke with King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia and discussed Iranian-enabled attacks by the Houthis against civilian targets in Saudi Arabia.
According to a White House statement, the President underscored the US commitment to support Saudi Arabia in the defence of its people and territory from these attacks and full support for UN-led efforts to end the war in Yemen.
Biden also noted his commitment to ensuring that Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon and briefed the King on ongoing multilateral talks to reestablish constraints on Iran’s nuclear program.
On February 8, the commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) Gen. Kenneth McKenzie said the United States would deploy a squadron of F-22 fighters to the United Arab Emirates to thwart drone attacks launched by Houthis.
Houthis resumed attacks on the UAE in January, in what they said was a response to Emirati involvement in hostilities against the movement in Yemen, locked in an armed conflict between the government forces led by President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and the Houthi rebels for several years.
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Since March 2015, the Saudi-led Arab alliance, working in cooperation with Hadi’s forces, has been conducting air, land, and sea operations against the rebels, who control the capital of Sanaa and large areas in northern and western Yemen.
Abha airport, located in close proximity to Yemen, has been repeatedly targeted by Houthi rebels, according to Sputnik.
Yemen has been engulfed in an armed conflict between the government forces and the Houthi rebels for several years.
UAE condemns
The United Arab Emirates has strongly condemned and denounced the terrorist Houthi militias’ systematic attempts to attack Abha International Airport in Saudi Arabia with a bomb-laden drone, intercepted by the Coalition Forces.
In a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) today, the UAE affirmed that targeting the airport, which resulted in scores of injuries among civilians, is “a cowardly terrorist act that requires a response against threats to the security, safety and lives of civilians and visitors.”
“It is a war crime that requires the community to support all necessary measures by the Saudi-led Coalition to stop the Houthi attacks on civilian objects and deter their threats to countries in the region.”
The UAE has renewed its full solidarity with the Kingdom over these subversive terrorist attacks and reiterated its stand against all threats to the Kingdom’s security, stability, and the safety of its citizens and residents.
The statement emphasised that the security of the UAE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are indivisible, and that any threat facing the Kingdom is considered a threat to the security and stability of the UAE.
