Saudi air defenses intercepted on Thursday night a new ballistic missile fired by the Iran-backed Houthis towards the Kingdom.
Official spokesman for Coalition Forces Supporting Legitimacy in Yemen Colonel Turki Al-Malki said that the missile was launched by the militias in Yemen’s Saada province and targeted residential areas in the city of Jizan in southern Saudi Arabia.
The missile was was intercepted and destroyed by the Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces, resulting in the scattering of its shrapnel debris on residential neighborhoods. There were no reports of any casualties or damage.
The failed attempt to target Jizan coincided with the flow of Arab and international condemnation of the Houthis, who on Wednesday fired missiles against Saudi cities. All of the rockets were intercepted by air defenses.
The United States State Department condemned the attack, saying the Kingdom has the right to defend its borders against the militias.
The attack, it said, raises questions on just how committed the Houthis are towards achieving peace and building a secure and prosperous future for Yemen.
Director of the Center for Gulf Affairs at the Middle East Institute Gerald Feierstein told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Houthis were using such attacks against Saudi Arabia to embarrass it before its own people.
They are attempting to demonstrate that the Saudi armed forces were incapable of protecting their borders and territories, he continued.
The arms used by the Houthis in their attacks cannot really achieve real military purposes because they lack the means to target vital infrastructure, he went on to say.
He stressed that the US must continue to support Saudi Arabia and the Arab Coalition in their efforts to restore legitimacy in Yemen and prevent the Houthis from taking over the country.
Feierstein said that Washington supports the Saudi-led Coalition’s goal to implement United Nations Security Council resolution 2216 on Yemen.
Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani condemned Wednesday’s terrorist ballistic missile attack by the Houthis against the Saudi capital Riyadh and cities of Jizan and Najran.
The continuation of such attacks demonstrates the militias’ insistence to threaten the security of Saudi Arabia and their rejection of regional and international efforts to stop the bloodshed and achieve peace in Yemen.
He hailed the efficiency of the Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces, which intercepted and destroyed the missiles before they reached their targets.
He called on the international community to condemn these hostile acts that violate international laws and conventions, urging the Security Council to implement its resolutions on Yemen, including resolution 2216.
Britain also expressed deep concern after the ballistic missile attacks by the Houthis against Saudi cities, stressing that it stands with Saudi Arabia against these serious threats.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said in a statement: "We will call on the UN to investigate how ballistic weapons reach Yemen in violation of Security Council resolutions."
"Those responsible for firing these missiles and their supporters must stop these provocative acts and return to political dialogue to ensure an end to the conflict in Yemen for the benefit of the Yemeni people and ensure the security of the region," he added.
Egypt strongly condemned the Houthi attack. The Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday that it fully support Saudi Arabia in confronting all who attempt to destabilize or threaten its security.
