Dubai: Yemen’s Al Houthi rebels have violated international laws of war in their latest missile attacks on Saudi Arabia, which killed an Egyptian labourer, Human Rights Watch said Monday.
On March 25, the Iran-backed rebels fired seven ballistic missiles into Saudi Arabia.
Saudi authorities said their defences intercepted all seven, but falling debris from one of the missiles killed a migrant worker in the capital Riyadh.
Human Rights Watch said the missile attacks “violated the laws of war” as they were fired “indiscriminately at populated areas”, calling on the Al Houthis to cease their attacks.
Over the weekend, Saudi air defences intercepted another Al Houthi missile targeting the southern city of Najran.
The Yemen war - which has created what the UN has called the world’s largest humanitarian crisis - has killed nearly 10,000 people since 2015, when a regional military coalition led by Saudi Arabia joined entered the war to help restore the internationally-recognised government which was toppled by the Iran-backed militants.
The Al Houthis have intensified missile attacks on Saudi Arabia since November, and the coalition imposed a blockade on Yemen ports and airports accusing Iran of smuggling in weapons to sustain Al Houthi war efforts.
The blockade has since been partially lifted.
“The Al Houthis should immediately stop their indiscriminate missile attacks on populated areas of Saudi Arabia,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.
