Saudi Arabia calls for int'l action to end Houthi attacks

By Yasin Aydi

RIYADH (AA) - Saudi Arabia on Monday called for urgent action by the international community to respond to the "aggressive behavior" of Yemeni Houthi rebels.

In a statement, the kingdom's Foreign Ministry condemned the group's latest attacks on Monday against targets in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as well as international shipping corridors in the Red Sea.

"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia condemns the repeated attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist militia on civilian objects and vital installations in the south of the Kingdom and Abu Dhabi, most recently targeting the southern city of Dhahran and the industrial zone in the southwestern Jazan that resulted in minor injuries to a Bangladeshi and a Sudanese national," the statement said.

The UAE said early on Monday that it had intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired by Houthi rebels towards its territory.

The Saudi statement warned that the rebel group's "aggressive behavior" had already caused destruction in Yemen, adding that the group continues its "terrorist acts to destabilize the security and stability of the region."

The ministry called on the international community to respond to the Houthis' repeated attacks, noting that these violated international law.

"The Kingdom also stresses the urgent need for the international community to act, especially the UN Security Council, to put an end to this aggressive behavior to maintain international peace and security," the statement read.

Meanwhile, Turkiye also condemned the attacks.

"We condemn the terror acts perpetrated on 24 January with ballistic missiles and drones against civilian targets in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia," said a statement by the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

It demanded an immediate end to such attacks, which it said constitute "a clear violation of international law."

Houthi rebels, who overran much of Yemen in 2014, regularly carry out rocket and drone attacks on Saudi territories and recently on the UAE, saying they are a reaction to the Saudi-led coalition's assault on Yemen.

The seven-year conflict in Yemen has caused one of the world's worst man-made humanitarian crises, with nearly 80% or about 30 million people, in need of humanitarian assistance and protection, and more than 13 million in danger of starvation, according to UN estimates.

*Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar