Houthis threaten to attack Saudi Arabia's economic facilities

Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, will retaliate against any Saudi Arabian attack by striking the country’s economic facilities, Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the movement’s political bureau, told RIA Novosti.

“Yes, of course. We will retaliate,” al-Bukhaiti said when asked about the possibility of attacks on Saudi Arabia’s economic facilities.

The confrontation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis escalated in July following an attack on the Houthi-controlled airport in Sanaa.

The Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of being behind the attack and announced retaliatory strikes against a number of Saudi facilities, including Abha airport.

In response, Saudi Arabia launched further attacks on areas of Yemen controlled by the movement.

Yemen has been gripped by armed conflict between government forces and Houthi rebels since 2014.

The situation deteriorated in March 2015 when a Saudi-led Arab coalition supporting the internationally recognised Yemeni government launched air, ground and sea operations to defeat the Houthis.