US, European Allies Condemn Houthi Attack on Yemen's Marib - Joint Statement

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th March, 2021) France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States have denounced the offensive by the Houthis in Yemen's Marib, the countries said in a joint statement on Thursday.

"We, the governments of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, condemn the sustained Houthi offensive on the Yemeni city of Ma'rib and the major escalation of attacks the Houthis have conducted and claimed against Saudi Arabia," the statement said. "Their determined attack on Ma'rib is worsening an already dire humanitarian crisis."

The countries stressed in the statement that the renewed diplomatic efforts to end the Yemen conflict provide the best hope to do it and called on the Houthis to use this opportunity.

"We reiterate our firm commitment to the security and integrity of Saudi territory, and to restoring stability and calm along the Saudi/Yemeni border," the statement said.

"We reaffirm our strong support for a swift resolution of the Yemeni conflict, which will bring much-needed stability to the region and immediate benefit to the people of Yemen."

State Department spokesperson Ned price said in a press briefing on Monday that the United States considers the Houthi rebels to be responsible for Sunday's attack on a Saudi port,.

On Sunday, the Saudi-led Arab coalition claimed it intercepted ten drones launched by the Houthis targeting civilians. As the Houthis have recently stepped up cross-border missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, the coalition announced the launch of a military operation against Houthi targets.

The war in Yemen has been ongoing since 2014 between the government forces and the Houthis, also known as the Ansar Allah movement. In 2015, the Saudi-led Arab coalition joined the fighting on the government's side.