Global terror threat pressing issue for international community: Saudi UN envoy

Abdulaziz Al-Wasil was speaking during a UN Economic and Social Council meeting about threats to international peace and security from transnational terror groups. (SPA/File Photo)
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  • Al-Wasil called on the international community to take immediate and decisive action to stop the Houthi violations

NEW YORK: Confronting the growing threat of global terror groups and organizations is one of the most pressing issues facing the international community, Saudi Arabia’s UN envoy has said.

The Kingdom’s permanent representative, Abdulaziz Al-Wasil, was speaking during a UN Economic and Social Council meeting about threats to international peace and security from transnational terror groups, the Saudi Press Agency reported Thursday.

During the meeting, he spoke about the systematic and deliberate violations of international law by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia in Yemen and its attacks on Saudi Arabia and the UAE, as well as its attacks on international maritime traffic.

Al-Wasil called on the international community to take immediate and decisive action to stop these attacks, especially those which targeted civilians, civilian infrastructure and global energy supplies.

Adding that Saudi Arabia rejected and denounced any acts of terrorism, he drew attention to the Kingdom’s efforts in bringing about a ceasefire in Yemen and its commitment to bringing security and stability to the country.

“The Houthi terrorist militia has violated an arms embargo imposed on Yemen,” he said. “Its use of more than nine hundred unmanned aircraft and more than four hundred and fifty ballistic missiles towards Saudi Arabia, in addition to threatening maritime navigation and international shipping lanes by using more than a hundred booby-trapped boats, 270 sea mines and the use of thousands of indiscriminate projectiles, confirms the group’s blatant defiance of the international community and its disregard for all international laws and norms.”

He added that the Houthis would be unable to build and deploy sophisticated drones, missiles and mines without the support of Iran, whose backing of the militia had been proven and confirmed by UN Security Council reports.

Al-Wasil also pointed out that there were several UNSC resolutions that focused on the stability of countries rather than on combating terrorist acts committed by some components of said countries, which led to undermining stability and prolonging conflicts.