The two sides also discussed a political solution to the conflict in Yemen
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken held a telephone conversation with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud during which the two sides discussed strengthening the kingdom’s defence capabilities amid the shelling of Abha airport by supporters of the rebel Ansar Allah (Houthis) movement.
“Secretary Blinken condemned the Hussite attacks on the international airport in Abha, which hit a civilian airliner. Secretary Blinken and the [Saudi] Foreign Minister discussed joint efforts to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s defences [to repel] the attacks on the kingdom”, – the State Department said in a press release posted on its website on Wednesday.
The two sides also discussed a political solution to the conflict in Yemen, including through the mediation of US Special Representative for Yemen Tim Linderking.
On Wednesday, the command of the Saudi-led Arabian coalition reported an attack by Yemeni rebels on the airport in Abha. As noted, the attack caused a civilian aircraft to catch fire at the airport. The fire was extinguished and no casualties were reported. The coalition called the incident a war crime. According to Al Mayadeen TV, a Hussein spokesman confirmed Ansar Allah’s involvement in the airport attack, adding that it was “a response to the aerial bombardment and ongoing siege” of Yemen by the coalition.
The stand-off between government forces and the Houthis has been ongoing in Yemen since August 2014. It reached its most active phase when the Saudi-led coalition invaded the country in March 2015. The conflict, which has lasted for more than five years, has created the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. According to the UN, more than 24 million Yemenis – about 80 percent of the population – are in need of humanitarian aid, and the number of internal refugees exceeds 3 million. The Husseites have carried out systematic attacks, with Saudi Arabia and its infrastructure as the main target.