UN condemns Houthi attacks on UAE

UNITED NATIONS－UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday condemned attacks by Yemen's Houthi militia in the United Arab Emirates.

"The secretary-general condemns today's attacks on Abu Dhabi's international airport and the nearby industrial area, which reportedly caused several civilian casualties and have been claimed by the Houthis," said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for Guterres.

"Attacks on civilian infrastructure and civilians are prohibited by international humanitarian law."

Guterres called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and prevent any escalation amid heightened tensions in the region, saying there is no military solution to the conflict in Yemen.

The secretary-general urges all parties to engage constructively and without preconditions with his special envoy Hans Grundberg. The mediation efforts are aimed at advancing the political process to reach a comprehensive negotiated settlement and to end the conflict in Yemen, said the spokesman.

The Iran-backed militia said on Monday that it had fired five ballistic missiles and several explosive-laden drones in multiple attacks on airports and an oil refinery in the UAE earlier that day.

"The attacks targeted the international airports in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, as well as the oil refinery in Abu Dhabi," said Houthi military spokesman Yehya Sarea.

"We vow to hit more vital targets in the UAE if it continues military escalation in Yemen."

UAE media reported that three oil tankers in Abu Dhabi's industrial area were destroyed after being hit by small drones. It also reported a fire in the Abu Dhabi International Airport. The UAE said it reserved the right to respond to the threat.

The attacks were condemned by Arab and foreign countries.

On Tuesday, airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition on Sanaa killed at least 20 people, including civilians, Houthi media said, in one of its deadliest attacks since 2019.Fourteen people were killed when coalition planes struck the home of a high-ranking Houthi military official, including his wife and son.

The escalation came nearly one week after the Houthis hijacked and captured a UAE-flagged commercial ship off the Houthi-held Red Sea city of Hodeidah.

The UN Security Council has called on the Houthis to release the ship and its crew members. The call was rejected by the Houthi group.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the government of president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of Sanaa.

The UAE is part of a Saudi-led Arab coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognized government against Houthi militia.

Xinhua - Agencies