International community condemns Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabian energy facilities
The secretary general of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), Nayef Falah Mubarak al-Hajraf, has condemned the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia's energy facilities. Al-Hajraf himself said that the offensives are not solely aimed at damaging the Kingdom's security and economic capacity, but "target the backbone of the global economy, oil supplies and global energy security".
The secretary general aligned the GCC's position with Saudi interests, and the organisation has announced that it will support Saudi Arabia "in all measures it takes" to protect its internal stability and the Kingdom's security, as well as its energy resources and oil exports.
Several regional and international bodies have joined in this action. The UAE Foreign Ministry has called the attack "cowardly". In the same statement, the UAE urged the international community to take "an immediate and decisive position to stop these actions". "The security of the UAE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are indivisible, and any threat or danger faced by the Kingdom is considered a threat to the security and stability of the UAE," the statement concluded.
The governments of Egypt, Djibouti, Qatar, Kuwait joined in the denunciation. Bahrain also condemned the attacks by the Tehran-backed Shia militia as "a violation of international law". The speaker of the Arab Parliament, Adel bin Abdulrahman al-Asoumi, and the secretary general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Yousef al-Othaimeen, expressed their disapproval and called for action by the international community.
Saudi retaliation on Sana'aThe Saudi-led coalition launched a new air offensive on the Yemeni capital on Sunday in response to continued cross-border attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia. Coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Maliki said the attacks on civilians and energy installations were "a red line".
Houthi-held Sana'a was again bombed. Residents themselves reported numerous explosions, although the number of casualties is not yet known. The Houthi news agency SABA reported five raids on the Al-Nahda neighbourhood and two raids on the Attan neighbourhood by Saudi fighters. The Shi'ite militia-held Al-Masirah satellite television channel also reported another airstrike on the Bajil district in the southwestern governorate of Al-Hudayda.
The Saudi attack came in retaliation for the latest Houthi offensive on energy facilities run by the state oil company Saudi Aramco, located in the port of Ras Tanura. Coalition forces announced the interception of at least 12 explosives-laden drones and two ballistic missiles fired by the rebels. However, the attack reportedly caused no damage, according to the Saudi news agency SPA.
"With the help of Almighty Allah, the air force was able to carry out an extensive joint offensive operation deep inside Saudi Arabia with fourteen drones, ten of which were Sammad-3s, and eight ballistic missiles, one of which was Thulfiqar," said Houthi militia spokesman Yahya Sare'e.
The operation, dubbed the "Sixth Operation Balance of Deterrence", targeted mainly the Saudi oil terminal, as well as other military targets in the Dammam area, according to Shi'ite militia sources. Other facilities were also attacked in the Asir and Jizan areas, with four Qasef-2K drones and seven Badr ballistic missiles.
Despite the Kingdom authorities' denunciation of Shi'a militia attacks on civilians, they do not usually cause damage or fatalities. Nevertheless, they have served their purpose: to increase pressure on the Kingdom and undermine its internal security. Over the past month, the rebels have launched at least three offensives against Saudi positions. All have targeted both military hangars and oil installations.
The air offensives gave way to fighting on the ground last February, when the rebels launched an offensive aimed at controlling the western part of the country. The city of Marib and its vicinity, the last government stronghold in north-western Yemen, is the subject of intense fighting for natural resources.
Hundreds of fighters, the vast majority of them Houthis, have been killed in the last few days of a battle dominated by government forces. Analysts have labelled the offensive as a last-ditch attempt to make political gains and strengthen their position ahead of future peace negotiations.
