Wave of Houthi missile, drone attacks on Saudi Arabia thwarted

RIYADH: Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militia unleashed a wave of ballistic missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia on Saturday, defying calls by the international community for a return to the peace table.

All of the missiles and drones were intercepted and destroyed, but falling debris from the missile that was shot down in the Eastern Province injured a boy and a girl in Dammam city, the Arab coalition supporting Yemen's legitimate government said early Sunday.

Falling debris also caused slight damage to 14 residential houses, coalition spokesman Brigadier General Turki Al-Maliki said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

The second missile targeted the southwestern region of Najran late Saturday, followed by a third on the adjacent region of Jazan, which was shot down by Saudi air defenses at 9:23 p.m., Al-Maliki said.

Earlier in the day, coalition air defenses intercepted three booby-trapped drones launched by the Houthis, he said.

Houthi attempts to target civilians and civilian objects is not only hostile and barbaric, but also "incompatible with heavenly values ​​and humanitarian principles," Al-Maliki was quoted by SPA as saying.

The coalition said it is taking strict measures to protect civilians the cross-border attacks.

Houthis had also launched drones toward Saudi Arabia on Friday morning and evening. Both attempts were intercepted.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) strongly condemned the attacks and praised the Kingdom’s air defense forces for intercepting them. 

OIC Secretary-General Yousef Al-Othaimeen affirmed the organization’s support for all measures taken by the Kingdom to protect its land, security, and stability.

Al-Othaimeen added that the organization condemns Houthi aggressions and those who provide the militia with money and weapons.

The UAE also strongly condemned the attacks and reiterated in a statement that “these systematic terror attacks by the Houthis reflect their blatant disregard for the international community and all international laws and norms.”
The country’s foreign ministry urged the international community to “take an immediate and decisive stance to stop these recurrent acts, which target critical infrastructure and threaten the security and stability of the Kingdom.”
It added that “the security of the UAE and that of Saudi Arabia are indivisible and any threat facing the Kingdom is considered a threat to the security and stability of the UAE.”
Bahrain issued a similar statement and affirmed its firm solidarity with Saudi Arabia against everything that targets its security, stability and territorial integrity, reiterating its call on the international community to take deterrent measures against the terrorist Houthi militia and all those who support it.