JEDDAH – A passenger plane on Wednesday caught fire in Saudi Arabia after an airport was targeted by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in a drone attack.
The rebel group launched attack at the Abha International Airport in the south-west of the Kingdom, close to the Yemen border.
The drone attack caused a passenger plane on the tarmac to catch fire, the kingdom’s state television said.
The Houthis group has claimed responsibility for the attack soon afterwards.
A military spokesman Yehia Sareai said that the group used four explosive-laden drones to target Abha airport.
No one was injured in the attack, but the attack could trigger Yemen’s grinding war for which the United States has vowed to bring it to an end.
Last week, US President Joe Biden has announced to end support for a Saudi Arabia-led coalition’s military campaign in Yemen, demanding that the six-year long conflict must come to an end as it caused humanitarian and strategic catastrophe.
Bide announced a major change in the US Foreign policy during his speech on Thursday. He said, “…we are ending all American support for offensive operations in the war in Yemen, including relevant arms sales”.
At the same time, he also vowed to continue to support and help Saudi Arabia defend its sovereignty and its territorial integrity and its people.
“I’ve asked my Middle East team to ensure our support for the United Nations-led initiative to impose a ceasefire, open humanitarian channels, and restore long-dormant peace talks”.
He also named Tim Lenderking, a career foreign policy officer, as special envoy to the Yemen conflict.
