Yemen PM Says Airport Attack Aimed to 'Eliminate' Cabinet

Yemeni PM Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik is seen in this December 2018 file photo. (AP)
Yemeni PM Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik is seen in this December 2018 file photo. (AP)
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Yemen PM Says Airport Attack Aimed to 'Eliminate' Cabinet

Yemeni PM Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik is seen in this December 2018 file photo. (AP)
Yemeni PM Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik is seen in this December 2018 file photo. (AP)

Yemen’s prime minister on Saturday said that a missile attack on the airport in Aden was meant “to eliminate” the country's new government as it arrived in the key southern city — a daring assault which he blamed on the Iran-backed Houthi militias.

Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed spoke to The Associated Press in an interview conducted at his office in the Mashiq Palace in Aden. It was the leader's first interview with international media after he survived Wednesday’s attack that killed at least 25 people and wounded 110 others.

“It’s a major terrorist attack that was meant to eliminate the government,” the premier said. “It was a message against peace and stability in Yemen.”

Saeed repeated his government’s accusations that the Houthis were responsible for the missile attack on the airport and a drone assault on the palace, shortly after the premier and his Cabinet were transferred there.

The new Yemeni government was formed in December in line with the Riyadh Agreement.

Saeed said that the “techniques” used in the airport missile attack were hallmarks of the Houthis' strategy.

The Houthis have carried out similar attacks in the past. In 2015, former Yemeni Prime Minister Khaled Bahah and members of his Cabinet survived a missile attack, blamed on the Houthis, that struck an Aden hotel used by the government. Last year, the Houthis fired a missile at a military parade of a militia loyal to the UAE at a base in Aden, killing dozens.

The attack took place moments after a plane carrying Saeed and his Cabinet members landed at the airport.

AP footage from the scene at Aden's airport showed members of the government delegation disembarking as the blast shook the tarmac, with many ministers rushing back inside the plane or running down the stairs, seeking shelter.

Saeed said three precision-guided missiles had struck the facility, targeting his plane, the arrival hall and the VIP lounge of the airport.

“The guidance accuracy was great. The operation was huge,” he said.

The prime minister said Yemeni investigators have collected the remains of the missiles and that experts from the Saudi-led coalition and the US would help determine the type and origins of the missiles.

Saeed and his newly formed Cabinet were returning to Yemen a week after they were sworn in before Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, where the embattled leader resides.

The Cabinet reshuffle was part of a power-sharing deal between the legitimate government and the Southern Transitional Council.

Saeed, the prime minister, said his government would prioritize “security and stability” in government-held areas after months of infighting between Hadi’s government and the STC.

“Whatever the challenges in Aden, the government remains,” he said.

He also pointed to “huge” economic challenges as being the focus of his government.

Aden’s airport is expected to reopened Sunday, Transportation Minister Abdel-Salam Hamied announced while visiting the facility.



US Houthi Terror Designation Takes Effect, Welcomed by Yemen Govt, Raises UN Concern

The government has fully endorsed the US designation, describing it as an “effective tool to curb material and financial support” for the Houthis. (AP)
The government has fully endorsed the US designation, describing it as an “effective tool to curb material and financial support” for the Houthis. (AP)
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US Houthi Terror Designation Takes Effect, Welcomed by Yemen Govt, Raises UN Concern

The government has fully endorsed the US designation, describing it as an “effective tool to curb material and financial support” for the Houthis. (AP)
The government has fully endorsed the US designation, describing it as an “effective tool to curb material and financial support” for the Houthis. (AP)

The US State Department’s designation of Yemen’s Houthi militias as a “foreign terrorist organization” has been welcomed by the legitimate Yemeni government, but has triggered UN concerns over its impact on humanitarian access, with the international body calling for “guarantees.”

While Yemeni reports suggest the designation could economically strangle the Iran-backed Houthis, fears are mounting that the move may push them to derail the fragile truce, resume the war against the government, and escalate attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

The government has fully endorsed the US designation, describing it as an “effective tool to curb material and financial support” for the Houthis.

It renewed its call for the international community to take similar steps to dry up the militias' funding, arms supplies, and to strengthen efforts aimed at restoring stability and peace in Yemen.

In a statement, Yemen’s Foreign Ministry stressed that the country has long suffered from the ravages of war and Iranian interference.

It called the US designation a reinforcement of its partnership with the United States and its allies in the fight against terrorism, hoping it will help curb activities that threaten the security of its citizens, the region, and global maritime trade.

The statement also affirmed Yemen's readiness to cooperate fully with international partners to ensure the effective implementation of the designation, aiming to serve the interests of the Yemeni people and promote peace and security in the region.

Amid concerns over the impact of the US designation on humanitarian efforts in Houthi-controlled areas, UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stephane Dujarric called for US guarantees.

During a press briefing, he emphasized that the designation should be accompanied by “appropriate assurances” to ensure effective humanitarian aid delivery and to allow civilians access to essential goods and services.

Dujarric also highlighted the UN’s focus on humanitarian response in Yemen, where nearly 19 million people require life-saving assistance, and 17 million are at risk of famine.

He stressed the importance of maintaining the role of the private sector in securing basic needs.

Dujarric cautioned that any disruption in the flow of commercial goods and humanitarian aid could have catastrophic consequences, particularly in a country that relies on imports for around 90% of its food supply.