Yemen accuses Houthis of preparing to launch military attacks

Member of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Othman Majali, yesterday accused the Houthis of carrying out “aggressive military moves, in preparation for launching attacks inside and outside the country.”

This came during his meeting in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, with the US Ambassador to Yemen, Steven Fagin, to discuss Washington’s efforts to bring peace to the Arab country, according to the official Yemeni news agency Saba.

During the meeting, Majali said: “The information indicates aggressive military moves by the Houthi militia in preparation for war, which undermines the chances of peace.”

“The Houthi militia is working to transfer large quantities of heavy weapons between the fronts, recruiting children in summer camps, working at a high pace to dig camouflaged trenches, and developing military sites and missile launchers to launch its aggressive attacks at home and abroad, including targeting the maritime navigation passageway,” he added.

Majali stated that “such actions and moves carry an escalatory nature at a time when the UN Special Envoy [Hans Grundberg], the US envoy [Timothy Lenderking], and the international community are making relentless efforts to establish peace.”

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There was no immediate comment from the Houthis on these accusations.

For his part, the US ambassador to Yemen stressed his country’s commitment to work and support the establishment of peace in Yemen, according to Saba.

Hopes for peace have been rising among the Yemenis since Saudi Arabia and Iran signed an agreement to reestablish diplomatic relations, ending a seven-year estrangement.