Brushing international laws protecting civilians in times of war under the rug, Houthis militias made targeting peoples and public installations a common practice in their military planning.
Since the Saudi-led Arab Coalition stepped in to back Yemen’s internationally-recognized government against an Iran-backed insurgency, Houthis rocket and drone attacks have affected more than 1,071 victims inside Saudi Arabia. Some 959 Saudi civilians have been injured and nearly 112 killed.
Cross-border attacks confirm missile capabilities honed by the militia, which actively smuggles Iran-made weaponry. Iran has enabled Yemeni Houthis to establish arms manufacturing sites, where rockets and projectiles are mostly developed with the help of Iranian experts as been proven by Arab Coalition field teams that have collected and studied shrapnel and pieces left behind by militia attacks against Saudi territory.
The number of rockets fired on Saudi Arabia by Houthi militias exceeded 225 ballistic missiles, one of which was directed at Mecca, home to one of Islam’s holiest sites.
Houthi militias have repeatedly targeted civilians and used Iran-made drones and naval mines to strike Saudi marks.
In August 2016, Houthis fired an Iranian rocket, branded as Zelzal 3, at a civilian gathering in the Saudi southern city of Najran. Seven were killed at the time.
The latest Houthi cross-border attack saw a missile targeting a civilian airport in southern Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, wounding 26 people.
Arab Coalition spokesperson Col. Turki Al-Maliki said ballistics investigators were working to determine the type of projectile used in the terrorist attack.
On the other hand, Iranian-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, adding that their forces fired a Scud missile.
It goes without saying that admitting to carrying out acts of terrorism and deliberately targeting and killing civilians constitute a clear violation of international humanitarian laws and conventions.
