Saudi Shoura Council chief brands Houthi air attacks on Kingdom ‘war crimes’

RIYADH: The chairman of the Saudi Shoura Council on Thursday condemned the latest attempted Houthi missile strike on the Kingdom and branded the Iran-backed militia’s repeated air attacks as war crimes.

Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Asheikh also called for urgent action from the international community to tackle the group’s ongoing “terrorist practices.”
The council leader spoke out after the Saudi-led coalition to restore legitimacy in Yemen said on Thursday it had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis toward civilian targets in Khamis Mushait.
In a statement, the coalition said: “We will resolutely hold accountable those who have planned and executed the terrorist attacks, in accordance with international law.”
Al-Asheikh described the Houthi drone and missile attacks as systematic war crimes that had been denounced internationally because “they target the security and lives of civilians and destroy all prospects of peace.”
The Shoura Council condemned in the strongest terms what it described as “a heinous terrorist crime” – similar to those that the Houthis had been carrying out for years – aimed at undermining the security and stability of Saudi Arabia and highlighted the recent strike on Abha International Airport.
“The whole world is called upon to confront those terrorist practices by the Houthi militia that has asserted its obstinacy and rejected peace … in a blatant violation of all opportunities and attempts that aim to return stability and security to Yemen,” said Al-Asheikh.

“The militia’s practices, with the backup of Iran and military and missile capabilities, are a blatant violation of UN Security Council Resolutions 2216 and 2231, a violation of international humanitarian law, and an attack on the stability of all the region’s states,” he added.
He urged the international community to take a firm stand against the Houthis and those who stood behind them, in order to combat acts that posed a “flagrant threat” to international peace and security.
“The Shoura Council, the Saudi institutions and agencies, and all citizens stand together in supporting all the procedures of the state – and its wise leadership – in the context of protecting the Kingdom and maintaining the stability and safety of its citizens and residents,” he said.