Yemen’s Houthi rebels attacked an airport in southern Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, wounding 26 people, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) and other reports confirmed.
Eighteen people were treated at Abha International Airport for minor injuries and another eight were taken to a hospital, according to the SPA, which quoted Turki al-Malki, spokesman of the US-backed Saudi-led coalition battling rebels in Yemen.
Authorities are working on identifying the type of missile that was used in this terrorist attack.
Abha international airport. Photos on social media carried in Al Arabiya show some damage to the airport.
A Houthi official said the strike was in retaliation for the Saudi-led coalition’s continued “aggression and blockade” against Yemen.
Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, called the attack “a blatant war crime to target civilians at an airport” in a post on Twitter.
Saudi Vice Minister of Defense Khalid bin Salman said the targeting of Abha Airport by the Iranian-backed Houthis “is a continuation of their immoral and criminal behavior that is in line with the malign behavior of their patrons. I pray for a quick recovery for the wounded.”
“We will confront the Houthi militia’s crimes with unwavering resolve. Their targeting of a civilian airport exposes to the world the recklessness of Iran’s escalation and the danger it poses to regional security and stability,” he said.
The attack received condemnation from a number of regional states.
Photos on social media carried in Al Arabiya show some damage to the airport.
