Washington calls for a “cessation” of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia

Washington on Sunday urged the Yemeni “Houthi” group to immediately stop its attacks against Saudi Arabia.

Washington’s mission to Riyadh said in a statement published by the US embassy that it “unequivocally condemns the recent Houthi missile attack.”

Which took place in the eastern region of the Kingdom, as a result of which two children were injured and a number of houses were damaged.”

It stressed that “attacking civilians is illegal and totally unacceptable, and such attacks do not serve any legitimate military objectives, but rather prolong the conflict in Yemen.”

“We once again urge the Houthis to immediately stop these absurd attacks and start working to reach a peaceful and diplomatic solution to the conflict,” she added.

It stressed that Washington “remains committed to its long-term strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia, in addition to its commitment to helping the Kingdom defend its people and lands.”

On Sunday, the Houthi group threatened Saudi Arabia with “wider and larger” attacks, considering them “legitimate operations in compliance with its defensive position.”

This came in a tweet by the group’s spokesman, Muhammad Abdul Salam, in the wake of the Houthi attacks with ballistic missiles and booby-trapped drones on Saudi areas.

And since 2015, an Arab coalition led by neighboring Saudi Arabia has been carrying out military operations in Yemen in support of the pro-government forces.

This is in the face of the Iranian-backed Houthis who have controlled governorates, including the capital, Sanaa (north), since 2014.

And at dawn on Sunday, the Saudi Ministry of Defense announced in a statement the interception and destruction of three booby-trapped drones and three ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis towards the eastern region, Jizan, and Najran.

It confirmed that the interception operation towards the eastern region caused shrapnel to scatter over the Dammam neighborhood, injuring two children and damaging 14 houses.

Meanwhile, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a statement that his group targeted Aramco’s energy facilities in Saudi Arabia using 10 drones and 6 ballistic missiles.

The Houthis used to launch ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi areas in exchange for declarations from the coalition that these attacks were thwarted, some of which left civilian casualties.