Kuwait raps Houthis’ hits

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KUWAIT CITY, July 9, (Agencies): Kuwait’s Cabinet on Monday condemned the repeated terrorist attacks by the Houthi militia on the International Airport of Abha, Saudi Arabia, which resulted in a many injuries of innocent civilians, as well as attacks on King Abdullah airport in Jizan.

Kuwait confirms its stance with the Kingdom and supports all decisions it takes for maintaining its stability and security, stressing the continued attacks by the Houthi militia on civilians are a breach of international law, calling on the international community to take necessary measures in order to stop these repeated criminal acts.

Saudi Arabia says it intercepted a drone launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels targeting “civilian infrastructure” in the Kingdom. The announcement on the state-run Saudi Press Agency early Tuesday did not identify what the drone targeted.

The Houthi’s Al-Masirah satellite television station said the Houthis sought to again target Abha regional airport, which they’ve hit several times in recent weeks, as well as a power station in Abha. Attacks on Abha’s airport have wounded dozens and killed at least one person.

Stepped up
The Houthis have stepped up launching bomb-laden drones in Saudi Arabia amid the Kingdom’s years-long war in the country against them. The Iranian- backed rebel’s campaign comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the US over the faltering nuclear deal with world powers.

The United Arab Emirates has drawn down its troop levels in Yemen but remains a key member of the Saudi-led coalition at war with Iran-aligned rebels there, a senior Emirati official said Monday. The official confirmed that UAE troop levels are down, describing it as a “strategic redeployment.” The official declined to disclose how many soldiers have left Yemen and how many remain. “Definitely, we do have troop levels that are down for reasons that are strategic in Hodeida and reasons that are tactical,” the official said, referring to the Yemeni port city where a UN-brokered cease-fire is supposed to be in place.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss troop deployments for security reasons. Talking to journalists in Dubai, the official said it makes sense to redeploy away from Hodeida and by extension from the UAE’s military base at Eritrea’s post of Assab, which was a staging ground for Emirati operations in Hodeida. Any other redeployment in others parts of Yemen “will ebb and flow based on our own assessment of what the situation involves,” the official said. “Our commitment in Yemen remains. We are part of the coalition,” the official said, adding that the drawdown was discussed extensively with the Saudis.

The Saudi-led coalition has been at war in Yemen since 2015 to support the country’s internationally-backed government. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and the war has generated the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, drawing sharp bipartisan criticism in Congress.

When discussing the drawdown, the Emirati official also noted the escalating tensions between the US and Iran in the Gulf region, saying the UAE was not blind to “the overall geostrategic picture.” A number of American academics and analysts who met recently with Emirati military officials say that in addition to withdrawing a significant number of troops from Yemen, the Emiratis have also moved Patriot batteries and other defense systems from Yemen back to the UAE to boost security and readiness at home amid heightened tensions with Iran. Yemeni military officials and tribal leaders, who also insisted on speaking anonymously to discuss the situation, said the UAE redeployed forces from the eastern province of Marib.

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