WASHINGTON, 11 February 2022, (TON): The US said “it is committed to supporting Saudi Arabia in the defense of its people and territory after a Houthi attack on the Kingdom's Abha airport, in which 12 people were injured.”

President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said “United States strongly condemns today’s terrorist attack.”

Noting that Houthi rebels had claimed responsibility for the drone, Sullivan said “Washington will work with our Saudi and international partners to hold them accountable.”

He added “America will have the backs of our friends in the region.”

The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen said Saudi air defenses thwarted a cross-border attack at 12:05 p.m. that involved a booby-trapped drone launched by the Iran-backed Houthi militia in a deliberate attempt to target civilians at the airport.

Shrapnel rained down when the drone was intercepted and fell inside the airport grounds, coalition spokesman Brig. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki said, and part of a glass facade was damaged. Two Saudi citizens, four Bangladeshis, three Nepalese, an Indian, a Filipino, and a Sri Lankan were injured.