MOSCOW, March 26. /TASS/: Houthi rebels revealed their terrorist nature again when they attacked the civilian infrastructure of the Saudi city of Jeddah, Chairman of the Russian State Duma’s Foreign Affairs Committee Leonid Slutsky told TASS on Saturday.
"I have learned with deep concern about the Ansar Allah (Houthi - TASS) movement’s attack against the infrastructure of the city of Jeddah, which is the most beautiful, thriving and touristic city in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is a city popular with Russian tourists, including Russian Muslims, who travel to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj," Slutsky said.
"By targeting Jeddah’s civilian infrastructure, the Houthis have once again demonstrated their terrorist nature, their lack of a constructive agenda, and their determination to merely destabilize the region," he added.
According to Slutsky, these developments confirm that Russia was right to support the UN Security Council’s decision designating Ansar Allah as a terrorist movement.
"I demand that all those who plotted and carried out these treacherous attacks should be held accountable. I offer my unequivocal support for Saudi Arabia’s efforts to resolve the Yemen crisis and for the kingdom’s initiative on security and stabilization in the region," Slutsky stressed.
Houthi attacks
Al Arabiya reported that Houthi rebels carried out 16 attacks against Saudi Arabia on Friday. In particular, two facilities were targeted in Jizan, southern Saudi Arabia. One ballistic missile fired by Houthi rebels and over ten drones carrying bombs were shot down by the Saudi air defense.
Earlier, the Houthi rebels claimed that they had attacked oil refineries in Ras Tanura and Rabigh as well as critical facilities in Riyadh.
Armed confrontation between government forces and Ansar Allah (Houthi) rebels has been going on in Yemen since August 2014, reaching the most active phase in March 2015 after the Saudi-led coalition invaded the country. The ongoing conflict has triggered the world’s gravest humanitarian crisis, with more than 24 million Yemenis, or about 80% of the country’s population, being in need for humanitarian aid and the number of internally displaced persons exceeding three million, according to the UN data.
