Yemen’s Vice President Ali Mohsen has accused Iran of sponsoring a “subversive and terrorist” scheme in the region including his country.
Iran is a major ally of Yemen’s Al Houthi militants, who deposed the country’s internationally recognised government in late 2014, prompting the intervention of a Saudi-led alliance to reinstate the legitimate administration.
“The political leadership led by [Yemeni] President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi and with sincere support from the coalition’s countries led by Saudi Arabia, is determined to go ahead with facing Al Houthis, who have subjected Yemenis to ravages and targeted brothers and friends as part of a subversive and terrorist project supported and sponsored by Iran,” Yemen’s official news agency Saba quoted Mohsen as saying on Friday.
In recent months, Al Houthis have intensified firing missiles towards the Saudi territory mainly from the northern province of Saada near the Saudi border.
Mohsen made the remarks at a meeting with Governor of Saada Hadi Tarshan, according to Saba. At their meeting in Riyadh, the governor updated Mohsen on progress recently made by government forces, supported by the Arab coalition, against Al Houthis in Saada, a major stronghold of the rebels.
Saudi forces, including ground and navy personnel, had ambushed Al Houthi militiamen in Yemen near the Saudi border, Al Arabiya reported Friday.
The ambush targeted the self-styled rebel group “Battalion of Death” with artillery and helicopter fire as well as strikes from coalition jets, military sources said.
The attack killed at least 20 militants and destroyed their supplies, according to the report.
