A Yemeni rebel missile attack on an airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia on Wednesday wounded 26 civilians, drawing promises of “stern action” from the Saudi Arabia-led coalition fighting the rebels.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who have faced persistent coalition bombing since March 2015, have stepped up missile and drone attacks across the border in the past few weeks.
Wednesday’s strike hit the civil airport in the mountain resort of Abha, a popular getaway for Saudi Arabians seeking escape from the searing heat of Riyadh or Jeddah.
Eight of the wounded were admitted to a hospital, coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said.
The other 18 were discharged after receiving first aid, he added in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.
The missile reportedly caused some damage to the airport’s arrivals lounge and flights were disrupted for several hours.
The coalition would “take stern action” to deter the rebels and protect civilians, al-Malki said.
The attack was condemned by the United Arab Emirates and Yemen, while Yemeni Minister of Information Muammar al-Iryani alleged that it was carried out “under the supervision of Iranian experts.”
The rebels said that they had launched a missile at Abha Airport, but insisted they had the right to defend themselves in the face of years of Saudi Arabia-led bombing, and an air and sea blockade.
“The continuation of the aggression and siege on Yemen for the fifth year, the closure of Sana’a Airport and the rejection of a political solution make it inevitable for our people to defend themselves,” Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam said in a statement.
A rebel military spokesman threatened to attack the airports of “countries of aggression,” referring to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and warned the public to stay away from them.
There has been a spate of cross-border attacks by the rebels that have coincided with reports of intensified coalition strikes on rebel strongholds.
On Monday, Saudi Arabian air defenses intercepted two rebel drones headed for Khamis Mushait, which houses a major air base that has been one of the main launchpads for the coalition’s bombing campaign in Yemen.
The attacks come as Saudi Arabian state media reported that the coalition was intensifying its air raids on rebel positions in the Yemeni province of Hajjah.
Last month, the Shiite Houthi rebels also carried out twin drone attacks on the kingdom’s strategic east-west oil pipeline.
Riyadh accused Iran of having a hand in that attack and leveled a similar allegation over the airport strike.
The coalition spokesman said that the missile hit “proves this terrorist militia’s acquisition of new advanced weapons and the continuation of the Iranian regime’s support and waging of cross-border terrorism.”
The uptick in violence comes as a UN-led peace push falters, despite the rebels’ unilateral withdrawal from Hodeida last month.
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