Doha, Oct 3: Yemen’s Houthi rebels – who control the north of the nation, have on Thursday said it was getting ready for large-scale operational strikes on Saudi Arabia, if the opposition fails to adhere to the movement’s call for ceasing hostilities in the region.
In a statement, the Houthi’s Supreme Political Council said, “Large-scale preparations are underway for unrestricted and powerful strikes, which will be enough to crash the aggressor if peaceful efforts and dialogue do not bring success,” Houthi-controlled Almasirah TV channel reported.
The council underscored the recent attack on Saudi Arabia’s Aramco oil plants were just a “tip of an iceberg” in relation to the group’s capabilities, according to Sputnik news reports.
On September 21, an official within Yemen’s Houthi rebel movement has declared it will cease targeting Saudi Arabia with its ballistic missiles or military drone, warning the extension of Yemen civil war “will not benefit any side”.
The declaration was made by Houthi’s supreme political council head Mahdi al-Mashat – who is in-charge of rebel-held regions in Yemen, according to Al-Jazeera news reports.
“We declare ceasing to target the Saudi Arabian territory with military drones, ballistic missiles and all other forms of weapons, and we wait for a reciprocal move from them,” Mashat said on the Houthi rebel-run Al Masirah TV.
“We reserve the right to respond if they fail to reciprocate positively to this initiative,” he said, adding the extension of the Yemen civil war “will not benefit any side”.
The announcement has come after Houthi claimed the responsibility of drone attacks on Saudi Arabia’s Aramco oil facilities last week. Though, Houthi reiterated its claim, Riyadh and the United States stood at their stance, blaming Iran for oil attacks.