Arab News

Houthi drone attack on Abha airport wounds 8

Saudi defenses intercept drones targeting Najran and Abha

- Mohammed Al-Sulami Jeddah

The Arab Coalition in Yemen said Saudi forces have intercepte­d two weaponized drones targeting Abha Internatio­nal Airport and a ballistic missile targeting the city of Najran, both launched by Houthi militias.

The coalition said that shrapnel was scattered across the airport when the drones were intercepte­d, injuring eight people and damaging a passenger plane, according to preliminar­y informatio­n.

This is the Houthis’ second attack on Abha Internatio­nal Airport in 24 hours.

The coalition confirmed that the joint forces’ leaders are implementi­ng all necessary measures to protect civilians and civilian objects in accordance with internatio­nal humanitari­an law. It also commended the efficiency of

Saudi defenses, which thwarted the militias’ attempts.

News channel Al-Ekhbariya posted on its Twitter account video footage capturing the moment in which Saudi forces intercepte­d the ballistic missile and drones headed for Najran and Abha Internatio­nal Airport.

Yousef Al-Othaimeen, secretaryg­eneral of the Organizati­on of Islamic Cooperatio­n, condemned the terrorist Houthi militias’ attempt to target the airport with a weaponized drone and stressed that “endangerin­g the lives of passengers and civilians is a cowardly terrorist act and a war crime.”

He strongly condemned the militias’ actions and praised the efficiency of Saudi air defenses, which intercepte­d and destroyed the drone before reaching its target.

Al-Othaimeen reiterated the OIC’s support for all the Kingdom’s measures to deal with the terrorist Houthi militias’ actions and maintain Saudi Arabia’s security and stability.

Once again, he urged the internatio­nal community to take a firm stance against what he called the Houthi militias’ “cowardly threats” and stop them from using ballistic missiles and weaponized drones to target civilians and civilian objects in the Kingdom. The Houthi militias have targeted civilians and civilian objects at Abha Internatio­nal Airport a number of times in the past years.

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