Yemen’s Houthis claim drone strike on Saudi airport

Sanaa: Yemen’s Houthi group on Tuesday claimed responsibility for a drone attack on Najran airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia, saying it was in response to alleged Saudi drone incursions into Yemeni airspace.

In a statement on social media platform X, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said the drone strike targeted a “sensitive” location at the airport and achieved a “precise hit.”

“The Yemeni Armed Forces have succeeded in targeting a sensitive asset of the Saudi enemy at Najran Airport using a drone, with the strike being precise,” Sarea wrote on X.

“This targeting comes in response to the Saudi enemy’s violation of the airspace in the provinces of Saada and Hajjah using its drones. We affirm to the Saudi enemy that any violation of our airspace will not go unpunished or without retaliation,” he added.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities on the Houthi claims, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The developments come amid rapidly escalating tensions between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia. On July 20, the group announced what it described as a maritime ban on Saudi-linked shipping in the Red Sea, citing an alleged Saudi blockade on Houthi-held areas.

Since then, the Houthis have claimed multiple missile and drone attacks on Saudi-linked vessels in the Red Sea and energy sites, while the Saudi-led coalition has resumed airstrikes on what it described as key Houthi military targets in Yemen.

The renewed hostilities have heightened concerns over security in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, raising the risk of a broader military confrontation after years of relative calm in Yemen.

The Bab al-Mandab Strait acts as a critical maritime chokepoint connecting the Gulf of Aden to the southern end of the Red Sea, forming an indispensable artery for global energy shipments and international trade moving to and from the Suez Canal.

On Saturday, the group denied reports that it planned to impose fees on commercial vessels transiting the Bab al-Mandab Strait, saying passage through the strategic waterway remains free of charge, Xinhua News Agency reported.

In a press statement, the Houthi-run Humanitarian Operations Coordination Centre (HOCC) said no decision had been made or was under consideration to introduce transit fees.

The centre said its “Safe Passage” service was voluntary and free, offering vessels not targeted by the group’s declared maritime embargo advance confirmation that they could navigate safely through the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea.

IANS