Houthi Leader Slams Saudi ‘Hijacking’ of Red Cross Plane

In a message posted on Twitter, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi denounced the recent move by the “American-Saudi aggressors and their coalition” to hijack a Red Cross plane over Yemen and force it to change course.

Describing the measure as a testimony to the Saudi-led coalition’s reluctance to move toward peace, al-Houthi also condemned the continuing blockade of Yemen’s airspace by the coalition and its disregard for the UN special envoy’s call for re-opening of the Sana’a airport, al-Masala news website reported.

The coalition attacking Yemen said on Tuesday it had forced a Red Cross plane bound for Djibouti to change its course after taking off from Sana’a and land in Jizan because it was flying over a military operation area.

It accused the plane crew of airspace violation and jeopardizing the safety of four passengers onboard by not responding to a radio communication on the international distress frequency.

Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia and some of its Arab allies have been carrying out airstrikes against the Houthi Ansarullah movement in an attempt to restore power to fugitive former president Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh.

Over 14,000 Yemenis, including thousands of women and children, have lost their lives in the deadly military campaign.