Hindustan Times ST (Jaipur)

Saudi warplanes bomb Yemeni capital over oil pipeline attack

US-IRAN TENSIONS Six killed in air strikes in Sanaa; Iran minister calls US escalation ‘unacceptab­le’

- Agencies letters@hindustant­imes.com

SANAA/TOKYO: Saudi-led coalition warplanes bombed Yemeni rebel targets including in the capital on Thursday following insurgent drone strikes on a key oil pipeline that Riyadh said were ordered by its arch rival Tehran.

As many as six people lost their lives while several others, including two Russian women, were wounded in the air strikes.

The new bombardmen­t came after the UN envoy, who has been spearheadi­ng efforts to end more than four years of conflict in the Arab world’s poorest country, warned it still faced the threat of plunging into all-out war.

The Saudi deputy defence minister warned that Tuesday’s attack by Yemeni rebels on a major pipeline in the kingdom was “tightening the noose” around peace efforts.

The Saudi-led coalition, which has been battling the Houthi rebels since March 2015, confirmed that its warplanes were carrying out multiple strikes across rebel-held territory.

“We have begun to launch air strikes targeting sites operated by Houthi militia,” a coalition official told AFP. A strike on a Sanaa neighbourh­ood killed six people and wounded 10, Mokhtar Mohammed of the capital’s Republic Hospital told AFP.

The coalition carried out 11 strikes on the capital in all, among 19 across rebel-held territory, the rebels’ Al-masirah television reported.

The raids began around 8am local time while many Yemenis were asleep awaiting the end at sunset of t he daytime f ast observed by Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan, a witness told AFP. “There were many strikes,” he added.

The rebels said their attack on the Saudi pipeline was a response to “crimes” committed by Riyadh during its bloody air war in Yemen, that has been criticised repeatedly by the United Nations and human rights groups.

The drone strikes further raised tensions in the region after the mysterious sabotage of several oil tankers and the US deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf over alleged threats from Iran.

Saudi Arabia’s deputy defence minister, Khalid bin Salman, charged the pipeline attack was carried out on Iranian orders.

“The attack by the Iranianbac­ked Houthi militias against the two Aramco pumping stations proves that these militias are merely a tool that Iran’s regime uses to implement its expansioni­st agenda in the region,” the prince said on Twitter.

US ESCALATION IS ‘UNACCEPTAB­LE’: IRAN

Iran on Thursday accused the US of an “unacceptab­le” escalation of tensions. “The escalation by the US is unacceptab­le,” Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in Tokyo on Thursday where he is holding talks with Japanese officials.

“We exercise maximum restraint,” he added.

 ?? REUTERS ?? THE DAMAGE IS DONE: A Houthi security officer reacts at the site of an air strike in Sanaa, Yemen.
REUTERS THE DAMAGE IS DONE: A Houthi security officer reacts at the site of an air strike in Sanaa, Yemen.

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