India condemns Iran-backed Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia that injured over 70 civilians: ‘Unacceptable’ | Today’s news
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned the recent attacks on Saudi Arabia by the Iran-backed Houthis, saying the attacks have “undermined regional security and stability”. The ministry condemned the focus on civil and economic infrastructure as “unacceptable”.
Responding to media queries regarding the reported attacks on Saudi territory, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “India has condemned attacks on Saudi sovereign territory, particularly targeting civilian and economic facilities.”
Jaiswal said such aggressive actions that “undermine regional security and stability and threaten freedom of navigation in Bab-el-Mandeb are unacceptable.”
Houthi attacks
New Delhi’s remark came after the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on Houthi attacks targeting civilian and economic sites in Abha, Jazan, Khamis Mushait and Najran, an escalation that resulted in 73 injuries among civilians, including women and children.
Yemen’s Iran-linked Houthis attacked an airbase in Khamis Mushait and oil infrastructure in nearby towns on Tuesday in one of the biggest attacks in Saudi Arabia since the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran in February, according to Reuters.
On Wednesday, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis reported more than 30 Saudi attacks on several regions. “Saudi enemy aircraft have launched 32 airstrikes in the past few hours on various areas across the governorates of Marib, Al-Jawf, Taiz and Hodeida,” rebel Almasirah TV reported.
Fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis has escalated in recent months, raising fears of a return to wider conflict after a 2022 UN-brokered ceasefire largely halted years of war.
The Houthis, according to Reuters, said their strikes were a response to the Saudi escalation in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia: “Strongest Condemnation”
Saudi authorities previously said Houthi attacks caused temporary shutdowns at oil fields and injured 73 people. Rebels reported Saudi airstrikes after the attacks.
In a statement shared on X, Riyadh condemned continued attacks targeting commercial naval vessels operating throughout the Red Sea, along with ongoing threats against international maritime transit routes.
“The Kingdom has reiterated its categorical rejection of the hostile approach and criminal actions persistently pursued by this militia in threatening the security and stability of the brotherly Republic of Yemen and its Arab and Islamic surroundings, as well as its continued rejection of all peace efforts,” the ministry noted.
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed its sovereign position and asserted its legal right to deploy all necessary measures to protect the national territory, secure strategic assets and ensure the safety of citizens and residents in accordance with international legal principles, with an emphasis on a policy of zero tolerance towards territorial aggression.
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“The kingdom warned of the consequences of the Houthi terrorist militia’s continued targeting of innocent civilians and civilian facilities, and emphasized the need to immediately stop all forms of escalation by the militias, as well as its continued threat to maritime security,” the Saudi statement added.
It called for decisive international intervention by enforcing UN Security Council resolutions, specifically resolutions 2216 and 2722.
Pakistan warns: ‘All three member states will respond’
Pakistan said there should be “no ambiguity” that an attack on any of the three members of the newly formed Makkah Defense Alliance would be considered an attack on all, as it warned that the pact could come into force after Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia.
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif’s comments on Tuesday came hours after Houthi forces launched a wave of missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia.
The minister said any unprovoked aggression against a member state or spillover of the Yemeni conflict into Saudi Arabia would trigger the collective defense clause of the agreement signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey in Mecca last month.
“There should be no ambiguity; there is no need to clarify that this is a mutual defense agreement,” Asif said in an interview with Geo TV channel. According to him, Pakistan will live up to its commitments to Saudi Arabia under the pact.
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“There should be no doubt about that. We are bound by the terms of this pact and, God willing, we will abide by them if necessary,” Asif declared.
He emphasized that the agreement is defensive in nature and does not authorize the three countries to launch attacks against another state on their own initiative.
“This is not an aggressive agreement, on the basis of which three countries would attack another country on their own initiative. But if there is any aggression against one member state, all three member states will react,” the minister said.
Saudi Arabia leads an Arab coalition that supports the government based in southern Yemen, which was ousted from the capital, Sanaa, by the Houthis 12 years ago.
The conflict has become the scene of a wider regional war, with the Houthis’ close allies of Iran and Saudi Arabia allied with the United States.
Read also | Mecca Mutual Defense Agreement: Will Saudi Arabia and Turkey fight if Pakistan is attacked?
The Houthis declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea in July, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to attack Houthi military installations in Yemen.
In recent days, Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces launched a multi-pronged offensive on Houthi-held areas after the group attempted to advance on government positions. The government says it aims to recapture all Houthi-held territory.
(With input from agencies)
