UN chief condemns Houthi attacks on Saudi civilian sites

United Nations, March 22 (IANS) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemns the recent Houthi-claimed attacks on civilian targets in Saudi Arabia, a UN spokesman said on Monday."These actions damage prospects for peace and regional stability and are detrimental to the ongoing mediation efforts of our special envoy Hans Grundberg," Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for Guterres, was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying. International humanitarian law prohibits attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure."We call upon all parties to exercise maximum restraint and avoid any further escalation," Dujarric added. "We strongly urge the parties to engage constructively and without preconditions with Grundberg."The special envoy aims to advance talks to reach a comprehensive negotiated settlement to end the conflict in Yemen.On Sunday, the Houthi rebel militia claimed responsibility for attacks on Saudi Aramco oil facilities in Jeddah and other energy facilities in Saudi Arabia. It was the second of such cross-border missile attacks against Saudi Arabia in less than 24 hours.The Houthi's attacks on Sunday followed a few days after saying they were ready for peace talks when previous attempts to get the militia into such discussions failed.The spokesman said Grundberg was in Muscat, Oman, on Sunday meeting the Houthi chief negotiator Mohammed Abdulsalam.Dujarric said they discussed ongoing UN consultations and efforts to address the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen, including a possible truce during the upcoming holy month of Ramadan. Grundberg is continuing discussions with the parties to the conflict.A Saudi-led coalition supports the internationally-recognized Yemen government, forced from its seat in Saana by the Houthis.
--IANS int/shs

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