Attacks on UAE, Saudi Arabia represent escalation of Yemen conflict: US State Dept.

Washington [US], January 25 (ANI/Sputnik): The recent attacks on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia by the Houthis as well as retaliation airstrikes in Yemen escalate the ongoing conflict and exacerbate the humanitarian situation in Yemen, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said during a press briefing.
"The United States condemns the overnight attack by the Houthis on the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, which resulted in civilian injuries in Saudi Arabia and follows a similar Houthi incursion last week that killed three civilians in Abu Dhabi," Price said on Monday. "These attacks on the UAE and Saudi Arabia, as well as recent airstrikes in Yemen that killed civilians, represent a troubling escalation that only exacerbates the suffering of the Yemeni people."
Price pointed out that the Yemeni people are in urgent need of a diplomatic solution to the ongoing conflict and reaffirmed the US commitment to help strengthen the defense of the Saudi and Emirati partners.
Houthis recently targeted Abu Dhabi with drone attacks, killing three and injuring six others. In response to Houthi's recent drone attacks, the Saudi-led coalition, including the UAE, launched a campaign against the group, targeting their warehouses and other infrastructure in Yemen.
On Friday, the Houthi rebels said that dozens of people were killed and injured as a result of the coalition airstrike on the prison in the Saada province. Initial reports mentioned 70 fatalities and more than 130 injured.
Yemen has been gripped by an internal conflict between the government forces and the Houthi movement for over six years. Since 2015, the Saudi-led coalition fighting on the government's side has been conducting air, land, and sea operations against the rebels. The Houthis often retaliate by firing projectiles and bomber drones on Saudi territory. The United Nations has described the situation in Yemen as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. (ANI/Sputnik)