Ansarullah: Over 70 killed in Saudi-led coalition strikes on Yemen
Iran condemns airstrikes on civilian infrastructure, areas
Yemen’s Ansarullah group said on Sunday that at least 72 people were killed in recent Saudi-led coalition’s strikes on Yemen as the two warring sides continued to exchange fire.
The Ansarullah group noted that the strikes mostly targeted the Bani Hushaish area, east of the capital of Sana’a. They also accused the Saudi-led coalition of targeting civilian facilities and infrastructure.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry in a statement on Sunday strongly condemned airstrikes on civilian infrastructure and civilian areas in Yemen.
“The continued violation of Yemen’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the economic and air blockade of this country, are contrary to international law and Islamic teachings,” the statement added.
The Saudi Energy Ministry also said on Sunday an Aramco building in Riyadh was targeted in an “attempted attack” with eyewitnesses saying the skyscraper sustained damage, after the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted missiles launched by Ansarullah.
Aramco facilities and infrastructure have been repeatedly struck by the Ansarullah’s fighters in recent months, with tankers, refineries, storage areas and the company’s headquarters, located in the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), all targeted by the group. KAFD is one of the most visible manifestations of the kingdom’s ongoing economic and social reforms drive, with towering glass skyscrapers, high-end retail outlets and green spaces dotting the area.
Multiple floors of the Aramco tower appeared to have sustained damage, said a witness, with glass shattered and damage to part of the tower’s facade visible.
Yemen slipped back into war between Ansarullah and the Saudi-backed government in July after years of relative calm, opening a new front in the conflict in the Middle East.
Since then, Saudi Arabia has regularly bombed Ansarullah’s positions, while the group has multiplied its attacks against the oil-rich kingdom.
The conflict flared up in July after the Ansarullah allowed an Iranian plane to land in Yemen’s capital Sana’a, in defiance of Saudi control over Yemeni airspace, setting off a spate of attacks.
The Ansarullah then declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and began hitting its ships, territory and oil facilities.
The United Nations says more than 1,600 people have been killed and more than 300,000 displaced since fighting resumed in the impoverished country.