The Voice of Ummah: Yemeni Armed Forces spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree has again warned international airlines that Saudi airspace and airports are unsafe, with the exception of the sacred airspace over Makkah and Madinah. A day after the warning, the United Kingdom advised its citizens against all but essential travel to the whole of Saudi Arabia.
According to Saba, Saree issued the statement on Thursday in response to a news conference by the Saudi-led coalition’s spokesman. He said Saudi Arabia had carried out more than 274,302 airstrikes on Yemen over the past 12 years, and more than 2,350 airstrikes and missile attacks since the latest escalation began. Opening his statement with the Quranic verse “So whoever has assaulted you, then assault him in the same way that he has assaulted you,” he said: “Anyone who attacks our country should not expect us to salute them.”
Saudi airspace: “Our operations are defensive”
Saree said Yemen’s armed forces had repeatedly warned all airlines in the past that Saudi airspace and airports were unsafe, and were now repeating that warning. By the grace of God, he said, the armed forces have the capability to respond in kind; their operations are defensive, and Yemen has every right to act until Saudi Arabia ends its aggression and blockade.
Read More: Yemeni Missiles Hit Saudi Command HQ at Aden’s Badr Camp
UK government: further attacks “very likely”
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) updated its travel advice on Friday, October 16, to advise against all but essential travel to all of Saudi Arabia, while maintaining its warning against all travel within 10km of the border with Yemen. Middle East Eye noted that the earlier warning had covered only specified regions and cities.
The advisory says there is “a heightened threat against airports, Saudi military and defence buildings, military bases, ports and energy infrastructure across Saudi Arabia, including Abha, Jizan, Najran, Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Yanbu,” adding: “Further attacks against airports as well as disruption and cancellations are very likely.” British nationals were told to stay away from Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport until it is secure and, if leaving the kingdom, to consider travelling by land to a neighbouring country and flying from there.
China Daily, citing aviation data, reported that Saudi Arabia’s aviation network remained severely disrupted on Friday, with almost half of all scheduled departures cancelled or not operating. The Saudi-led coalition itself says King Khalid International Airport has been targeted 20 times this month. Sanaa’s Foreign Ministry says the Yemeni people adopted the equation of “blockade for blockade, escalation for escalation” to push Saudi Arabia to end its aggression and lift the siege on Yemen.
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