Saudi king denounces Houthis in rare rebuke

• Rebels accuse Riyadh of deadly strikes as thousands flee • 154 people reportedly killed in fighting over past two days • G7 calls on Yemeni group to halt military actions, attacks on shipping • UK commits air-to-air refuelling support for Saudis SANAA: The king of Saudi Arabia denounced Yemen’s Houthis as a “terrorist militia” in a rare statement on Tue­sday reacting to an attack that authorities said targeted the holy city of Makkah last week. King Salman, 90, praised the armed forces and security services for defending the country, and condemned the recent Houthi attempt “to target Makkah”, calling it “a provocation to Muslims aro­u­nd the world”, according to the official Saudi news agency.

Houthis also accused Saudi Arabia on Tuesday of launching a wave of deadly strikes that killed civilians and prison inmates, as Riyadh seeks to repel an offensive that has seen the Iran-backed group seize strategic territory. The recent Houthi takeover of Yemen’s Red Sea coast has left hundreds dead and heightened fears over global trade and shipping through the vital Bab al-Mandab strait. It has also forced thousands to flee, with the United Nations on Tuesday forecasting the number of displaced could swell from over 130,000 today to more than 230,000 in the coming months. The gains made by the Houthis have cemented the hold of Iran and its regional allies over two key waterways in the Middle East — and the straits of Bab al-Mandab and Hormuz — which are major shipping arteries for global flows of energy. Saudi Arabia, which backs Yemen’s internationally recognised government, has sought to contain the Houthi advance with air strikes. The Houthis have retaliated with attacks on Saudi territory, including a strike targeting the capital Riyadh for the first time in years. The…