Arab News

RIYADH: The US mission to Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned a Houthi drone attack on Abha International Airport that wounded eight people.

On Tuesday, the Arab coalition announced that Saudi forces intercepted two weaponized drones targeting Abha airport and a ballistic missile targeting the city of Najran, both launched by Houthi militias.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken strongly condemn the attack against Saudi Arabia.

“We again call on the Houthis to uphold a ceasefire and engage in negotiations under UN auspices,” he said.

Echoing Blinken’s message, the US mission urged the militia to cease their attacks against civilians, and wished the casualties a “speedy and full recovery.”

A similar attack earlier this year, which left a passenger plane on fire, sparked a flurry of condemnations against the Houthi violation, particularly among the Kingdom’s gulf allies.

On Tuesday, Bahrain also condemned the attack and described the Houthi action as “a clear violation of international humanitarian law and all international norms.”

The Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs praised the efficiency of the Saudi air defense forces and said Bahrain supported the Kingdom in all measures that preserved its security.

The UAE denounced the Houthis for targeting civilians and in a systematic and deliberate manner.

The UAE’s foreign ministry said the “cowardly” act threatened the lives of civilians and passengers, and amounted to a war crime.

Gulf-neighbor Qatar also strongly denounced the attack against the airport, calling the Houthi action against civilian installations an “act of sabotage that violates all international norms and laws.”

Kuwait condemned in the strongest possible terms Tuesday’s attack and called on the international community to act “promptly and decisively” against the perpetrators.

Egypt, Jordan, and Pakistan also denounced the attack and reaffirmed their solidarity with the Kingdom against these aggressive acts.