CAIRO/LONDON: Egypt’s Foreign Ministry has condemned “in the strongest terms” the “terrorist targeting” by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia of King Abdullah Airport in Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
The drone attack resulted in the injury of civilians and material losses. The ministry said the Houthis’ repeated targeting of vital Saudi civilian facilities, including airports, and of innocent civilians is a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, as well as a blatant threat to the Kingdom’s security and stability, and the safety and freedom of civil aviation.
It stressed Egypt’s “full solidarity” with Saudi Arabia in its measures to confront these “despicable terrorist attacks,” and emphasized that the security and stability of the two brotherly countries are linked.
Britain also condemned the attack and called on the Houthi militia to stop targeting populated areas.
“I was shocked and saddened to hear of last night’s attack targeting Jazan Airport,” said UK Minister for Asia and the Middle East Amanda Milling.
“These continued acts of terror by the Houthis risk innocent lives and must stop now,” she added in a tweet.
I was shocked and saddened to hear of last night’s attack targeting Jizan Airport. These continued acts of terror by the Houthis risk innocent lives and must stop now.
— Amanda Milling (@amandamilling) February 22, 2022
The Iran-backed Houthis have also in recent weeks began targeting the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi. On Jan. 17, a missile and drone attack set off explosions in fuel trucks at an oil storage facility that killed three people and caused a fire near the airport.
Nayef Al-Hajraf, the secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, said the Houthi militia’s targeting of a civilian airport amounted to a war crime by deliberately targeting civilians and civilian objects protected by under international humanitarian law and its customary rules.
He reiterated the GCC states’ solidarity with the Kingdom against everything that targets its security, stability and territorial integrity, stressing the need for the international community to take immediate and decisive measures to stop these aggressive acts.
Qatar and the Muslim World League also issued similar statements condemning the attack.
