Houthis threaten coalition with suicide attacks

Senior Houthi leader Ali Halqoum warned on Friday that his militias would carry out suicide bombings against the warships of the Saudi-led coalition if they approach Yemeni ports, Arabs 48 has reported.

Halqoum described the Saudi-led coalition as the “enemy” and pointed out that, at the moment, there has been no definite decision to attack the ships in their current station offshore. “Our battle is still internal, but if they approach the ports, the response would be a deterrent.”

Houthis control four Yemeni ports, through which they receive supplies of weapons and ammunition.

A member of the group’s executive council, Abdul-Min’em Al-Qurashi, threatened to carry out suicide attacks inside Saudi Arabia when the Saudi-led coalition launched Operation Decisive Storm in March. Iran’s Fares news agency reported him saying that the Houthis pledged to end the rule of a number of Arab regimes and would “move towards ending the Saudi [kingdom].”

According to one researcher of international relations and strategic affairs in Turkey, the Houthis might well carry out their threat. “They are expected to use all of the power at their disposal in an effort to win this battle,” said Ali Bakeer.