The Arab Coalition has intercepted and destroyed a drone launched by the Houthis in Yemen towards the city of Khamis Mushait in southern Saudi Arabia.
Saudi state television announced late Wednesday that the Arab Coalition had intercepted and destroyed the drone fired by the Houthis. The Al-Mamlakah Saudi channel considered the attempts to attack civilians and civilian objects as deliberate and systematic, representing war crimes. The Saudi-led Arab Coalition stressed the ongoing attempts by the terrorist and hostile militia to target civilians and civilian locations, stating that the coalition would take operational measures to protect civilians and civilian objects in accordance with international humanitarian law.
Notably, U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen Timothy Lenderking revealed that the United States has been communicating with the Houthi group through backchannels. According to "Reuters," Lenderking stated in a press conference at the U.S. State Department on Tuesday, "We have ways to convey messages to the Houthis and we are using those channels quite actively as we engage directly with the leaderships of the main concerned countries."
The agency reported that the U.S. envoy to Yemen called on Iran to stop supporting the Houthis, describing it as "murderous." Washington urged the "Ansar Allah" group to halt its advance towards the city of Marib, which is under the control of government forces, cease its military operations, and return to the negotiating table to end the crisis in Yemen. The U.S. State Department stated that "the Houthis' aggression towards Marib is an act by a group unwilling to commit to peace or end the war inflicted on the Yemeni people." It confirmed that "if the Houthis are serious about reaching a negotiated political solution, they must stop all military advances and cease other destabilizing actions, including cross-border attacks on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."
In response, the "Ansar Allah" group reacted to the U.S. call to stop its attacks on Saudi territory and return to the negotiating table to resolve the crisis in Yemen. The group's spokesperson, Mohammed Abdelsalam, asserted via his Twitter account that "Ansar Allah is ready to positively engage with any initiatives or political processes aimed at establishing peace in the country." He stated, "We are the ones calling for constructive and successful political action following a comprehensive halt to hostilities and lifting the siege." Abdelsalam added, "From our past experiences, any political process will not succeed under fire and siege, and the aggressor must stop its aggression and siege, and we are ready to engage positively."
Saudi Arabia has led the Arab Coalition since March 2015, conducting intensive military operations in Yemen in support of the internationally recognized Yemeni government loyal to President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, which is opposing the Iran-backed "Ansar Allah" (Houthis) group.
