Alliance: Attack on Riyadh Airport is a 'War Crime'
Riyadh-Aden-Agencies: Brigadier General Turki Al-Maliki, the official spokesperson for the forces of the coalition supporting legitimacy in Yemen, affirmed that the cowardly terrorist attack carried out by the Houthi militia on Saturday on one of the passenger terminals at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, and the resulting deaths and injuries among civilian passengers and airport workers, constitutes a complete war crime under international humanitarian law and its customary rules. Al-Maliki described the cowardly terrorist attack on King Khalid International Airport as a heinous act that contradicts principles, values, and ethics, emphasizing that the joint command of the coalition forces will respond to this terrorist attack decisively and in accordance with international humanitarian law and its customary rules.
For his part, Rashad Al-Alimi, Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, pledged to continue with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the "Yemen Dawn" operation to end the "terrorist threat" posed by the Houthi group and to restore Yemeni state institutions, "no matter the sacrifices required." This came a day after a missile attack launched by the Iran-backed Houthi militia on King Khalid Airport in Riyadh, which killed 12 civilians and injured more than 300 others.
Al-Alimi stated in a post on the X platform yesterday that the security of Saudi Arabia and the security of Yemen, as well as the interests of their peoples, are interconnected, and he considered any attack on the Kingdom to be an attack on Yemen's security, interests, and the future of its generations. He renewed his country's solidarity with the Kingdom following this cowardly Houthi terrorist attack, which he said "reflects the terrorist nature governing the militias' behavior and their disregard for civilian lives and the interests of the Yemeni people." He reaffirmed his resolve to continue the "Yemen Dawn" operation to end the terrorist threat and restore state institutions, regardless of the sacrifices involved.
He praised the fraternal stances of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its continuous support for the Yemeni economy, and its efforts to alleviate humanitarian suffering, including the recent support for the state's general budget and the announced facilitations to regularize the status of Yemeni residents on its territory.
On the ground, Houthi-controlled sites in the provinces of Taiz, Sanaa, and Saada were subjected to air strikes yesterday. The Taiz Military Axis, affiliated with the Yemeni army, stated in a bulletin that air strikes targeted Houthi sites, gatherings, and vehicles in the Al-Maqrami, Al-Ja'sha, and Al-Salal hills east of Taiz city, as well as Al-Mukha'if fortress and the Bal'an area in the Al-Aqroud front in the south of the province, without providing further details. In Sanaa, Yemeni media outlets, including the independent platform "Yemen Future," reported scattered air strikes on the capital, without disclosing the executing party, targeted sites, or resulting casualties. In Saada, the Houthi-affiliated Saba News Agency reported the launch of six strikes alongside a missile barrage targeting the Sahar directorate.
Meanwhile, the "Rasad" Organization for Rights and Freedoms affirmed that the continuation of the siege and restrictions imposed on the movement of civilians in Taiz city, and the resulting obstruction of access to food, medicine, education, and healthcare, constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law and human rights law. The actions associated with the siege, depending on the circumstances and available evidence, may amount to war crimes. The organization condemned the ongoing siege imposed on Taiz city by Houthi militias, which exacerbates the suffering of more than 2.5 million people, including approximately 140,000 displaced persons, many of whom live in areas close to confrontation lines amid threats to their lives and livelihoods.
The organization called on the UN Special Envoy to Yemen, the United Nations, and international and humanitarian organizations to take urgent action and exert pressure to lift the siege on Taiz, open routes for civilians, ensure the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid, and guarantee access to food, water, medicine, education, and healthcare for the population, while providing special protection for displaced persons and the most vulnerable groups. The organization emphasized that protecting civilians is a legal and humanitarian responsibility, and that their continued suffering without effective international action undermines the principles of international law and exacerbates the humanitarian catastrophe.
