Updated February 10th, 2021 at 22:31 IST

Saudi TV: Yemen rebel attack on Abha airport

Yemen's Houthi rebels on Wednesday targeted Abha International Airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia, causing a civilian plane on the tarmac to catch fire, the kingdom's state television reported.

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Yemen's Houthi rebels on Wednesday targeted Abha International Airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia, causing a civilian plane on the tarmac to catch fire, the kingdom's state television reported.

The state-owned Al-Ekhbariya TV said that firefighters have brought the blaze under control.

There was no immediate word if the attack had caused any casualties.

The Abha airport, close to the Yemeni border, has been repeatedly targeted in Houthi missile and drone attacks.

Those attacks have wounded dozens and killed at least one person over recent years.

The Saudi-led military coalition did not say what type of weapon was used in the attack.

Wednesday's attack, however, represented the first one to reportedly damage a civilian aircraft at the facility.

Flight-tracking websites showed delayed and cancelled flights scheduled to either take off or land at the airport.

The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said in a statement that it will "hold the militia accountable in accordance with international humanitarian law," referring to the Houthis.

There was no announcement from the Houthis on the attack.

Military spokesmen for the group did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment.

Saudi Arabia has been at war with the Houthis in Yemen for nearly six years, a grinding conflict that has spawned the world's worst humanitarian disaster.

Image credit: Saudi state television via AP

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Published February 10th, 2021 at 22:31 IST