Coalition Press Conference: Airport Attacks Violate International Humanitarian Law, Houthi Offensive Capabilities Will Be Dismantled
Official Spokesperson of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki stated that the terrorist Houthi militia's attacks on civilian airports and facilities, including King Khalid International Airport, pose a direct threat to the security of civilians and the safety of travelers and constitute a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and its customary rules.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday on the targeting of the airport, Al-Malki offered his deepest condolences to the families of the martyrs of the attacks and wished the injured a speedy recovery. He said the targeting of holy sites, civilians, and civilian infrastructure reflects a pattern of Houthi behavior that runs counter to humanitarian principles, ethics, and values.
He condemned the militia's cowardly terrorist acts against civilians and civilian facilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, as part of a series of assaults on civilian sites used daily by tens of thousands of innocent people.
Al-Malki stated the targeting of Makkah and Madinah is part of a systematic hostile approach that threatens the security of visitors to the Two Holy Mosques and the safety of pilgrims and terrorizes innocent people, underscoring the need to take all necessary measures to protect the security of the Kingdom and its holy sites.
He said the militia has acquired advanced technologies with the help of regional actors, making it the first terrorist group to possess ballistic missiles, offensive and suicide UAVs, and booby-trapped high-speed boats.
The coalition's Joint Forces Command has dismantled a network of mountain storage facilities built by the militia in Sanaa, Saada, and Amran, used to launch terrorist attacks on Yemen and neighboring countries, and destroyed a number of missile launch platforms, he added.
Al-Malki highlighted the high efficiency of the Kingdom's air defense systems in intercepting threats and thwarting attacks, and said the Joint Forces Command continues to take the necessary measures to counter Houthi threats and dismantle the militia's offensive capabilities, including its weapons depots and missile launch platforms.
He said the command has proven that the militia uses civilian objects and vital resources to fuel its war effort, including Al-Sabaha Central Station in Sanaa, as well as underground fuel reserves, fuel tanks, and fuel transport and offloading terminals in Hudaydah, Sanaa, and Dhamar.
Al-Malki called for an immediate halt to all Houthi terrorist operations targeting civilians and civilian objects, including airports, ports, oil facilities, and infrastructure.