The Yemeni government approves a draft law that classifies the Houthi group as a “terrorist organization”

The internationally recognized Yemeni government announced, on Sunday, the approval of a draft law that classifies the Yemeni Ansar Allah group (Houthis) as a terrorist organization and criminalizes its activities, at a time when the region is witnessing a strong escalation between the Iranian-backed group and Saudi-backed government forces. The Presidency of the Yemeni Council of Ministers stated, through its account on the “X” platform, that the government approved “a draft law to classify the Houthi group as a terrorist organization and criminalize its activities and financing.”

She added that Prime Minister Shaye' al-Zindani said, "while chairing a Cabinet meeting today, Sunday, that the terrorism of the Houthi militia will not divert the course of the battle or stop its progress, stressing that the executive agencies must shift from reaction to proactive action." Yemen is witnessing battles between the Houthis and government forces in various regions of Yemen, and the Houthis targeted oil and civilian facilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as its airports in Riyadh and Dammam.

The Houthi group said, earlier on Sunday, that it had carried out, during the past 24 hours, 4 “specific operations” against Saudi sites, most notably King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, warning against using Saudi airspace with the exception of “the airports and airspace of Mecca and Medina.” Saudi Arabia announced that King Khalid Airport was subjected to attacks that resulted in deaths and hundreds of injuries, in addition to targeting King Fahd Airport in Dammam.

The Houthis also warned "all international companies, all experts, employees, workers, and travelers from all countries of the world against the consequences of operating flights towards Saudi airports, as they are unsafe, except for the airports and airspace of the holy areas in Mecca and Medina." The Saudi Civil Aviation Authority announced, on Sunday, that the attack that targeted King Khalid Airport earlier on Saturday resulted in the deaths of 12 people, including 4 citizens and 8 of different nationalities.

The authority explained in a statement that “the brutal attack... resulted in the death of 12 people, including 4 citizens and 8 residents: two of Bangladeshi nationality, and one each of American, Egyptian, Jordanian, Syrian, Palestinian, and Sudanese nationalities.”

Later Sunday, the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia announced the death of one of its citizens injured in the attack, bringing the death toll to 13 people.