Sana’a, Aug 4 (EFE).- Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis said Tuesday they had carried out a drone strike on Najran airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia, describing it as retaliation for what they called repeated Saudi drone incursions into Houthi-controlled areas of northern Yemen.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a statement posted on social media that the group had targeted a strategic site at the airport with a drone and claimed the attack had «successfully hit its target,» without providing further details.
Saudi Arabia, which leads a military coalition backing Yemen’s internationally recognized government, has not commented on the reported attack.
Sarea said the operation was in response to what he described as repeated Saudi drone flights over the northern provinces of Saada and Hajjah, both controlled by the Houthis and bordering Saudi Arabia.
He warned that the group would continue responding to what it called future violations of Yemeni airspace.
Rising tensions
The announcement comes amid renewed tensions between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia after several years of relative calm along their shared border.
Late last month, the Houthis announced what they described as a maritime blockade of Saudi shipping in the Red Sea, saying it was retaliation for restrictions imposed by Riyadh on Houthi-controlled areas.
Since then, the group has repeatedly claimed attacks on commercial vessels it says are linked to Saudi Arabia and warned that it would expand its operations if the kingdom continued what it described as military or economic pressure on Houthi-held territory.
For its part, Saudi Arabia has announced a multinational maritime coalition to protect shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes and a key corridor for global energy shipments. EFE
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