Yemenupdated 1h ago2 min read
UN Condemns Yemen’s Houthis’ Attacks on Saudi Airports Near Riyadh, Abha
The United Nations condemned Houthi attacks on Abha and King Khalid airports in Saudi Arabia. Three people were killed and 36 injured in the airport attacks.
13 outlets told this the same way.
UN condemns airport attacks
The United Nations condemned the Yemenite Houthi rebels’ cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia, including “the recent attacks in Jazan and Najran” and attacks “near Riyadh and its airport,” while warning of “the current military escalation in Yemen and its surroundings.” Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres, told a press briefing that the UN urged “all parties to act with moderation” and to refrain from “carrying out direct attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure.”
The UN spokesperson spoke after Houthi bombings against airports in Abha and Riyadh, and the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) reported that the attack on Abha left “two dead and 28 injured,” while the attack on Riyadh left “one death and eight people injured.” The UN’s condemnation came as the UN leadership said it was “deeply concerned about the current military escalation in Yemen and its surroundings, including the intense fighting on multiple fronts.”
Saudi toll and Houthi claims
Saudi aviation authorities said attacks on Abha airport and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed three people and injured 36 others, with the Civil Aviation Authority saying one attack occurred on Wednesday and the other on Tuesday. The General Authority of Civil Aviation said the attack on Abha airport resulted in “two deaths of residents holding Moroccan and Algerian nationalities” and “28 injuries among two citizens and residents of Bangladeshi and Filipino nationalities.”
The General Authority of Civil Aviation said the attack on King Khalid International Airport resulted in “one death of a resident of Sudanese nationality” and “8 injuries,” including “five citizens” and “two residents of Egyptian nationality.” The Houthis claimed responsibility for targeting the airports, and the Houthis’ spokesman said on X that their forces “were able to target King Khalid Airport in Riyadh with several unmanned aerial vehicles, causing disruption to airport operations.”
Escalation, displacement, and risk
Fighting in Yemen intensified alongside the airport attacks, and the Yemeni army said it conducted “2,103 attacks against Houthi positions and operations on multiple fronts” as part of its operation “Yemen Dawn,” while stating it “neutraliz[ed]” 1,860 members of the group. The Houthi forces did not comment on the figures, while the UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric called on all parties to “refrain from attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure” and to avoid actions that could escalate tensions.
The International Organization for Migration said displacement rose to more than 200,000 people since the latest round of fighting began, and IOM Director General Amy Pope said, “People are running for their lives and finding nowhere safe to go.” The BBC also reported that clashes in western Yemen on Wednesday left at least 62 people dead, including 37 Houthis and more than 25 members of the internationally recognized Yemeni government forces, according to military sources on both sides to Agence France-Presse.