Houthi Targeting of Civilians Amounts to ‘War Crimes’
SMA NEWS – Riyadh
Several states and organizations considered cross-border attacks staged by Houthis in Yemen against neighboring Saudi civilians an extension of the Iran-backed group’s war crimes.
International condemnation and warnings have failed in curbing Houthi ballistic missile and drone attacks repeatedly striking civilian targets.
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on Sunday condemned a ballistic missile attack by the Houthis on the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
“The UK condemns the latest Houthi missile and drone attacks targeted at Saudi Arabia and Marib,” Raab said in a tweet.
“These put innocent lives at risk, and show that those responsible are not serious about peace, let alone protecting the Yemeni people,” he added, criticizing Houthi conduct.
Col. Turki al-Maliki, the spokesman for the Saudi-led Arab Coalition, said the Houthis were trying in “a systematic and deliberate way to target civilians.”
He added that Houthi violence both violates international and humanitarian laws and hinders efforts for finding a political solution that ends conflict in Yemen.
Despite Arab Coalition forces successfully intercepting and destroying hundreds of Houthi missiles and drones launched against civilians, shrapnel from one of the Houthi ballistic missiles crashed through the roof of a residential property in Riyadh after it was intercepted. No casualties were reported.
