Somali president accuses Houthis of regional destabilisation as Yemen attacks intensify

Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud accused the Houthi movement of destabilising the region and disrupting maritime navigation through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, Al Jazeera and Modern Ghana reported. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, Mohamud stated that the Yemeni group is not in a position to bring peace to Yemen. [1][7]

The comments come as the Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for attacking a Saudi Aramco facility south of Riyadh using missiles and drones, according to France 24, Investing.com, and Reuters. France 24 reported that flames and a large plume of smoke were seen rising from the plant, although Saudi authorities have not confirmed the incident. [2][3][4][5]

The Houthi group also accused Saudi forces of conducting 26 strikes on the Yemeni capital of Sanaa on Saturday following loud explosions, France 24 reported. A report cited by r/worldnews noted that the Houthis claimed Saudi Arabia launched more than 90 attacks in Yemen within a 24 hour period. [4][6]

The president of Somalia serves as the head of state and commander in chief of the armed forces, while the ongoing civil war in Yemen has pitted opposing factions against each other since late 2014. As FTMQ News reported earlier, cross border clashes between Yemeni government forces and Houthi rebels have intensified significantly in recent days. [8][10][12][13]