Yemeni government condemns Houthi attack on Saudi ship
Aden, July 23 (KUNA) -- The Yemeni government strongly condemned on Thursday the attack carried out by the Houthi militia against a vessel belonging to a Saudi company while it was navigating the Red Sea, which caused a fire in the ship’s bow without resulting in any injuries.
In a statement, the Yemeni government affirmed that “the Houthi terrorist militia’s open adoption of attacks targeting civilian ships and global energy supplies serves as renewed proof of its terrorist nature and its determination to threaten regional and international security, gamble with the Yemeni people’s assets, and exacerbate their humanitarian suffering.”
The statement pointed out that this escalation once again reveals that the militia’s claims regarding the blockade are merely a recurring pretext to evade responsibility for starving, impoverishing, and looting Yemen’s resources. It added that “official data confirm the arrival of hundreds of ships carrying food, fuel, and commercial goods to ports under its control, decisively refuting those lies and confirming that the humanitarian crisis is caused by looting policies and the war economy imposed by the militias on the Yemeni people.”
It clarified that “the Houthi militia has reinforced its position as the first terrorist group in history to systematically use ballistic missiles, drones, and rigged boats to target civilian ships, commercial tankers, shipping lanes, and national oil facilities, and as the first group to kidnap United Nations staff and humanitarian workers, with utter disregard for the consequences of these criminal practices on the interests of the Yemeni people.”
The statement noted that “the timing of this escalation and the nature of the civilian assets the Houthi militia announced it would target once again confirm that its criminal operations are linked to external calculations and agendas, and to attempts to widen the circle of tension in the region, harm global energy security, and disrupt international trade routes, in a manner that serves the interests of the Iranian regime and its efforts to use the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab as leverage and blackmail against the international community.”
The statement warned the Houthi militia against continuing to gamble with the Yemeni people’s assets and dragging them into wars that have no connection to their national interests, without learning from the lessons of the past and the devastation these adventures have brought to national infrastructure, including the destruction of Sanaa Airport, the ports of Hodeidah, and assets of Yemenia Airways.
It stressed that the institutions of the legitimate state, along with the army and security forces, are now more capable of fulfilling their national responsibilities, deterring the crimes and violations of this militia, protecting Yemen’s land, territorial waters, and airspace, safeguarding national interests, and confronting any threat to the country’s sovereignty, regional security, and stability.
Earlier on Thursday, a senior source at the Saudi General Authority for Transport stated that the ship “ENCELIA,” owned by a Saudi company, was targeted while navigating the Red Sea, resulting in a fire in the bow. The crew members were safe, and relevant authorities have taken all necessary measures to secure the ship and its crew and protect the marine environment. (End) S.N.S. / M.A.A.
