Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia: World condemns attempts to target civilian, oil facilities

The UAE and several other nations have strongly condemned the Houthi militia's systematic and deliberate attempts to target civilian and energy facilities in Saudi Arabia with booby-trapped drones and ballistic missiles.

A fire had broken out at an Aramco petroleum distribution station in Jeddah on Friday evening. In a separate incident, a projectile launched towards Samtah caused a fire at an electricity distribution station there.

Large plumes of black smoke were reported at the site; however, the Saudi-led Arab Coalition forces confirmed there were no casualties.

The authority reiterated that hostile elements were targeting civilian sites, sharing images of damaged residential homes and vehicles. Rallying behind Saudi Arabia, several countries urged the international community to take a firm stance against the Houthis to halt such attacks.

UAE

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) affirmed that the continuation of these attacks by the terrorist Houthi militia poses a challenge to the international community and the efforts to end the Yemeni crisis.

The UAE also said that the attacks disregard all international laws and norms and urged the international community to support measures being taken by joint forces of the coalition to support legitimacy in Yemen to stop targeting civilian objects by the terrorist Houthi militia.

In a statement, the ministry reiterated the UAE's full solidarity with Saudi Arabia against these terrorist attacks.

US

Washington condemned "unacceptable" attacks by Yemen's Houthis on Saudi energy facilities, State Department deputy spokesperson Jalina Porter said on Friday, adding the United States would continue to work with Saudi Arabia to strengthen its defences.

UK

In a statement, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed his strong condemnation of the Houthi attacks on vital sites in Saudi Arabia, stressing that the attacks endanger the lives of civilians and must stop.

Qatar

The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the Houthis' targeting of two oil facilities in Jeddah and Jazan in Saudi Arabia.

In a statement, the ministry stressed that targeting oil installations and vital facilities is a dangerous act of sabotage that contradicts all international norms and laws, and would affect the security and stability of global energy supplies.

It also renewed its firm position rejecting violence and targeting vital facilities, regardless of the motives and reasons.

Bahrain

The Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that targeting oil facilities in the Kingdom is a threat to the security and stability of global energy supplies, and further stressed the need for the international community to stand firm against these systematic and repeated attacks.

Bahrain expressed its full solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in all its defensive measures to deter the Houthi aggression.

(With inputs from SPA)