UN Security Council condemns Houthi attacks that killed 3 in Abu Dhabi

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The UN Security Council denounced "in the strongest terms" on Friday attacks on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that killed three civilians and wounded six other victims.

Council members "expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims of the Houthi attacks," and further "reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security."

The council "underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice, and urged all States, in accordance with the obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with the government of the United Arab Emirates and all other relevant authorities."

On Monday, three people were killed in Houthi attack on Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a member of a Saudi-led coalition that has been fighting Houthi rebels since 2015.

The coalition announced on Thursday the start of a large-scale operation against the Houthis in response to "the threat and the principle of military necessity to protect civilians from attacks," according to the official Saudi Press Agency.

Meanwhile, the Houthi-run Saba News Agency said the coalition carried out four attacks on al-Hudaydah city in western Yemen, as well as six more on the capital Sanaa.

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iran-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including Sanaa.

A Saudi-led coalition aimed at reinstating the Yemeni government has worsened the situation. Yemen is now home to one of the world’s worst man-made humanitarian crises, with nearly 80% of Yemenis, or about 30 million people, needing humanitarian assistance and protection. Over 13 million are in danger of starvation, according to UN estimates.