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Rashad Al Alimi, chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, said on Thursday that the country's Houthis rebels have transformed from a local insurgent force into a fully fledged international terrorist group.
Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York, Mr Al Alimi said the Houthis are “armed to the teeth” with Iranian-supplied weapons such as ballistic missiles, drones, sea mines and explosive-laden boats − including weapons banned under international law.
“They are no longer a rebel group operating in remote areas of Yemen,” he said. “They are an international terrorist organisation with an advanced Iranian arsenal.”
Mr Al Alimi called on the UN to form an effective international alliance to restore security and stability to Yemen, “a coalition that would rebuild the institutions of the state and liberate the country from the clutches of the militias and all forms of terrorist groups”.
Yemen “must not be left to fall prey to blackmail and terrorism”, because that would open the door to more victims and undermine the credibility of the UN and its principles, he added.
“What we ask from you are not new statements, but international action, firm, international action to support the legitimate government as a trusted partner on the ground,” he said.
The Houthis have bolstered their fighting capabilities since Yemen's civil war started in 2014, posing a serious threat to neighbouring nations.
More than 20 people were injured in a Houthi drone attack on Israel’s southernmost city of Eilat on Wednesday. The Houthis said they launched two drones in response to the war in Gaza. One drone exploded in a fireball in the Red Sea resort town.
The Israeli army responded by conducting air strikes on Yemen's capital Sanaa yesterday.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israeli aircraft “attacked several military camps, including a camp of the Houthi General Staff, eliminated dozens of Houthi terrorists, and destroyed stockpiles of UAVs [drones] and ammunition”.
