ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday condemned a ballistic missile attack on Saudi Arabia that killed two people and injured seven others in the kingdom’s southwestern region on Friday.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, a Houthi projectile killed a Yemeni resident of the kingdom along with a Saudi national when it hit the town of Samtah in Jazan.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia has carried out several missile attacks against Saudi Arabia in the past, though the kingdom has thwarted many of these strikes to protect its population and strategic installations.
This photograph released by Saudi Press Agency on December 25, 2021 shows the site where a Houthi projectile landed and killed two people in Saudi Arabia's southern Jazan region. (SPA)
The recent incident in Jazan wounded six Saudi citizens along with a Bangladeshi national.
“Pakistan strongly condemns the launch of hostile projectiles by Houthis towards Samtah governorate in Jazan region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that resulted in casualties, injuries and damage to civilian infrastructure,” the country’s foreign office said in a statement.
It added that “such attacks not only violate international law but also threaten peace and security of the Kingdom … and the region.”
The Pakistani foreign ministry also called for immediate cessation of these attacks.
“Pakistan reaffirms its full support and solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia against any threats to its security and territorial integrity,” the statement maintained.
Reacting to the development, the prime minister’s advisor on the Middle East Hafiz Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi demanded the United Nations, Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Arab League to take notice of such attacks on the Muslim holy land.
“Such attacks are not just a cause of concern for Saudi Arabia but also for Muslims around the world,” he told Arab News. “We condemn them.”
A senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader, Raja Zafar-ul-Haq, denounced the incident and demanded an end to Houthi violence against the kingdom.
“We condemn the breach of Saudi territorial sovereignty and want an end to all types of violence against Saudi Arabia,” he said.
Zafar-ul-Haq noted the people of Pakistan had tremendous affection for the kingdom, adding that their country had always stood with the kingdom and would continue to do that.
Commenting on the missile strike in Jazan, Sehar Kamran of the Pakistan Peoples Party described it as a “terrorist act.”
“This continued aggression against Saudi Arabia by Houthis is a clear violation of international law and every peace-loving person would condemn such acts,” she told Arab News. “If the Houthis want peace in the region, they will have to stop such strikes. They are clearly committing terrorist acts.”
