DOHA/MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th February, 2021) A civilian plane at Abha International Airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia caught fire as a result of an attack carried out by the Yemeni Shia rebel Houthi movement, the Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday, adding that the situation is currently under control.
"A civilian aircraft caught fire as a result of the airport's shelling by Houthi rebels, the fire was brought under control. The shelling of airports in the kingdom by Houthis is seen as a war crime that threatens the civilian population's lives, and the Houthis will be held responsible in accordance with international law," the coalition said in a statement, cited by the Saudi Al Ekhbariya tv channel.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saria responded on Twitter, saying that the movement hit airfields of warplanes at the Abha airport by four Samad-3 drones on Wednesday afternoon (09:00 GMT), and that the strike "was accurate."
"The aggressive Saudi regime has ignored all our previous repeated warnings on exploiting civilian airports for military purposes. The attack came in response to the continued aerial shelling and blockade [imposed] on our country," Saria added.
Yemen has been engulfed in an armed conflict between the government forces led by President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and the Houthi rebels since 2014. A coalition of states led by Saudi Arabia launched an operation to support the internationally recognized Hadi government in 2015. The Houthis continue to maintain control over a vast part in the north of the country, including the capital of Sanaa.
