Yemen rebel attack wounds 26 at Saudi airport

 

RIYADH: At least 26 civilians were injured on Wednesday in a missile attack by Yemen's rebel Houthi movement on an airport in south-western Saudi Arabia, the Saudi-led coalition fighting the rebels said.

According to Colonel Turki Almalki the official spokesman of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, “At (02:21am) Wednesday morning a hostile projectile fired by Houthi militia hit the arrivals hall at Abha International Airport in Asir Province in southwestern Saudi Arabia, through which thousands of civilian passengers of different nationalities pass daily."

"A total of 26 civilian passengers of different nationalities were injured by the projectile, including three (3) women (Yemeni, Indian, Saudi) and two (2) Saudi children,” he added.

He added, eight of those wounded at Abha airport were admitted to hospital, while the other 18 were discharged after receiving first aid.

The Colonel further said the military and security forces are working to determine the type of projectile used in the terrorist attack.

Flights were disrupted for several hours before returning to normal.

The Houthi militia has claimed through its media the full responsibility for the attack and said it used a cruise missile.

Last month, drone attacks claimed by Iran-aligned Yemen rebels shut down one of Saudi Arabia's major oil pipelines, ratcheting up Gulf tensions after the mysterious sabotage of several tankers.

Saudi Arabia, the world's largest crude exporter and OPEC kingpin had said two pumping stations that lie on the East-West Pipeline had been targeted by the rebels