Houthi missile aimed at palace
SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Arabia yesterday intercepted a missile launched by rebel Houthi fighters in Yemen, who declared a ‘‘new chapter’’ in their confrontation with the kingdom.
The Volcano 2-H ballistic missile was aimed at the al-yamama royal palace in Riyadh, but was stopped by Saudi’s air defences.
Reporters heard a blast and saw a plume of smoke rising above the Saudi capital near the palace, where King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs weekly government meetings and hosts foreign dignitaries.
It was the second time in as many months that a rebel projectile had reached as far inside the kingdom as Riyadh, but while audacious, neither missile caused any real damage.
In a televised address, Abdulmalik al-houthi, the Houthi rebel leader, said the range of missiles in their arsenal was being extended.
‘‘Our long hand will reach other places, God willing. As long as you continue to target Sanaa we will strike Riyadh and Abu Dhabi,’’ he said, referring to the seat of government of the United Arab Emirates, a key member of the coalition.
Earlier this month, the Houthis claimed to have fired a missile at a nuclear plant that is underconstruction in the Emirates. The UAE denied the claim. The rebels claimed Saudi palaces, as well as military and oil facilities were all now within range of such missiles fired from Yemen.
Nikki Haley, the United States ambassador to the United Nations, last week displayed what she said was ‘‘undeniable’’ evidence that Iran was supplying the Houthis with missiles.
Washington has backed the Saudi-led coalition in its war in Yemen. Iran, Saudi’s regional foe, rejected the allegations and has repeatedly denied arming the rebels.
Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, described what Riyadh said was Iran’s supply of rockets to the Houthis as ‘‘direct military aggression’’ that could be an act of war.
The conflict entered its 1000th day yesterday and has intensified since rebels killed Ali Abdullah Saleh, Yemen’s former president, on December 4.
Nearly 9000 people have been killed since Saudi Arabia and its allies joined the government’s fight against the Houthis in 2015, triggering what the UN has called the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
The missile attacks, which could further escalate a military campaign by a Saudi-led coalition against the rebels, underscore how the raging Yemen conflict is spilling across the border.
Saudi and coalition air strikes have intensified since the assassination of Saleh by the Houthis after his alliance with the rebels collapsed. Yemen’s war has now killed more than 10,000 civilians in total and driven millions more to the brink of famine.
The coalition imposed a blockade on aid and commercial shipping to rebel-held parts of Yemen on November 6 in response to a rebel rocket attack. Although restrictions on some aid shipments have been eased after three weeks, humanitarian agencies have warned that deliveries are still bottlenecked and the country faces one of the worst food crises in history if commercial shipping is not restored.
In a rare public rebuke by Britain, Penny Mordaunt, the secretary of state for international development, said Saudi Arabia had ‘‘no excuses’’ for blocking food and fuel shipments to Yemen, and could be in breach of international humanitarian law.
She said last week that the kingdom’s relationship with the UK could be damaged if Riyadh does not ease the restrictions.
–Telegraph Group