RIYADH: The Saudi-led coalition on Sunday accused Iran and Hezbollah of helping Yemen’s Houthi rebels For launching missiles and drones in the state, where two people were killed.
Since the coalition intervened to support Yemen’s government nearly seven years ago, Saudi Arabia has regularly accused Iran of supplying Huthis Hezbollah with weapons and training the rebels.
Tehran denies the allegations. Lebanon’s Iran-backed Shiite militant movement Hezbollah has previously denied sending fighters or weapons to Yemen.
The latest Saudi allegation came as the coalition intensified an aerial bombing campaign against the Iran-backed Houthis in retaliation for deadly attacks on the kingdom.
coalition spokesperson Turki Al-Malkik told a news conference that the Houthis were “militarizing” Sanaa airport and using it as a “main center for launching ballistic missiles and drones” towards the empire.
Malki showed reporters a video clip which he said showed “the headquarters of Iranian and Hezbollah experts at the airport”, where he alleged, “Hezbollah is training the Houthis to trap and use drones”. Used to be”.
Malki showed other clips, which he said showed a Hezbollah member holding explosives in a drone, and a man he identified as a Hezbollah officer telling Houthi members “We need to strengthen our ranks.” needed”.
The footage could not be independently verified.
The Arab military coalition led by Riyadh intervened in Yemen to support the internationally recognized government in 2015, a year after the Houthis captured the capital, Sanaa.
Since then tens of thousands of people have been killed, including United Nations It has been described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
The Houthis come from the Zaidi Shia sect, a minority of Islam and have a traditional stronghold in Yemen’s mountainous north.
Between 2004 and 2010, he fought six wars against the then government of Yemen and fought Saudi Arabia in 2009-2010 after storming the border.
A rebel missile attack on the Saudi city of Jazan killed two people overnight Friday, the first such death in three years in the kingdom.
– Rise – On Sunday, Malki said the international community “must stop the hostile acts by this terrorist organization,” in a reference to Hezbollah.
He said that since January 2018, the Houthis have launched 430 ballistic missiles and 850 drones towards Saudi Arabia.
On Sunday evening the coalition announced it had launched fresh strikes near an air force academy in Sanaa to prevent weapons from being transferred.
Earlier on Sunday, the coalition said it had attacked a Houthi rebel camp in Sanaa, destroying weapons warehouses.
On Saturday, the coalition launched a “large-scale” military operation against the Houthis after a rebel missile attack that killed Jazan.
Yemeni doctors told AFP that three civilians, including a child and a woman, were killed in the coalition raid.
Rights groups have criticized the coalition for civilian casualties in its years of aerial bombing.
The coalition maintains that its operations are conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law, repeatedly urging the Houthis against using civilians as human shields.
Malki also accused Iran’s ambassador in Sanaa, who died of Covid-19 last week after evacuation from Yemen, of “leading the planning of military operations in Marib, the last bastion of the Yemeni government in the north”. .
The Houthis warned in a statement that they would “face escalation with escalation”.
– barbaric attack – World powers and the kingdom’s Gulf Arab allies condemned the rebels’ deadly attack on Saudi Arabia.
Washington’s embassy in Riyadh said in a statement: “The Houthi attacks are continuing the conflict, exacerbating the suffering of the Yemeni people and endangering the Saudi people with more than 70,000 American citizens living in Saudi Arabia.” ”
ludovic pauliThe French ambassador to Riyadh offered condolences to the families of the victims of the “barbaric Houthi attack” on Twitter.
The coalition has intensified its airstrikes on Sanaa, including what it called a “military target” at the airport last week.
United Nations aid flights were disrupted as a result.
Insurgents frequently launch missiles and drones aimed at their airports and oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.
of the United Nations world food program Said that the lack of funds has “forced” Yemen to cut aid, and warned of an increase in hunger.
Since the coalition intervened to support Yemen’s government nearly seven years ago, Saudi Arabia has regularly accused Iran of supplying Huthis Hezbollah with weapons and training the rebels.
Tehran denies the allegations. Lebanon’s Iran-backed Shiite militant movement Hezbollah has previously denied sending fighters or weapons to Yemen.
The latest Saudi allegation came as the coalition intensified an aerial bombing campaign against the Iran-backed Houthis in retaliation for deadly attacks on the kingdom.
coalition spokesperson Turki Al-Malkik told a news conference that the Houthis were “militarizing” Sanaa airport and using it as a “main center for launching ballistic missiles and drones” towards the empire.
Malki showed reporters a video clip which he said showed “the headquarters of Iranian and Hezbollah experts at the airport”, where he alleged, “Hezbollah is training the Houthis to trap and use drones”. Used to be”.
Malki showed other clips, which he said showed a Hezbollah member holding explosives in a drone, and a man he identified as a Hezbollah officer telling Houthi members “We need to strengthen our ranks.” needed”.
The footage could not be independently verified.
The Arab military coalition led by Riyadh intervened in Yemen to support the internationally recognized government in 2015, a year after the Houthis captured the capital, Sanaa.
Since then tens of thousands of people have been killed, including United Nations It has been described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
The Houthis come from the Zaidi Shia sect, a minority of Islam and have a traditional stronghold in Yemen’s mountainous north.
Between 2004 and 2010, he fought six wars against the then government of Yemen and fought Saudi Arabia in 2009-2010 after storming the border.
A rebel missile attack on the Saudi city of Jazan killed two people overnight Friday, the first such death in three years in the kingdom.
– Rise – On Sunday, Malki said the international community “must stop the hostile acts by this terrorist organization,” in a reference to Hezbollah.
He said that since January 2018, the Houthis have launched 430 ballistic missiles and 850 drones towards Saudi Arabia.
On Sunday evening the coalition announced it had launched fresh strikes near an air force academy in Sanaa to prevent weapons from being transferred.
Earlier on Sunday, the coalition said it had attacked a Houthi rebel camp in Sanaa, destroying weapons warehouses.
On Saturday, the coalition launched a “large-scale” military operation against the Houthis after a rebel missile attack that killed Jazan.
Yemeni doctors told AFP that three civilians, including a child and a woman, were killed in the coalition raid.
Rights groups have criticized the coalition for civilian casualties in its years of aerial bombing.
The coalition maintains that its operations are conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law, repeatedly urging the Houthis against using civilians as human shields.
Malki also accused Iran’s ambassador in Sanaa, who died of Covid-19 last week after evacuation from Yemen, of “leading the planning of military operations in Marib, the last bastion of the Yemeni government in the north”. .
The Houthis warned in a statement that they would “face escalation with escalation”.
– barbaric attack – World powers and the kingdom’s Gulf Arab allies condemned the rebels’ deadly attack on Saudi Arabia.
Washington’s embassy in Riyadh said in a statement: “The Houthi attacks are continuing the conflict, exacerbating the suffering of the Yemeni people and endangering the Saudi people with more than 70,000 American citizens living in Saudi Arabia.” ”
ludovic pauliThe French ambassador to Riyadh offered condolences to the families of the victims of the “barbaric Houthi attack” on Twitter.
The coalition has intensified its airstrikes on Sanaa, including what it called a “military target” at the airport last week.
United Nations aid flights were disrupted as a result.
Insurgents frequently launch missiles and drones aimed at their airports and oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.
of the United Nations world food program Said that the lack of funds has “forced” Yemen to cut aid, and warned of an increase in hunger.
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