Saudi air defenses thwarted on Thursday a cross-border attack using an armed drone by the Iran-backed Houthi militias against Abha International Airport
Twelve civilians from various nationalities were wounded as a result of shrapnel falling over the facility.
The joint forces of the Saudi-led Arab coalition said that by targeting civilian airports, the Houthis in Yemen have chosen flagrant escalation.
They vowed that they will strike areas in Yemen's Sanaa from where the Houthis are launching their drones.
The coalition accused the Houthis of deliberately targeting civilian airports, vowing retaliation.
It called on people in Sanaa to evacuate within 72 hours civilian locations that are being used for military purposes.
Coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki deemed the "barbaric" Houthi attack against Abha airport a "war crime."
The wounded included people from Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and India.
Minor damage was reported at Abha airport.
Malki stressed that the coalition will take the necessary operations measures to respond to the threat in order to protect civilians.
The Houthis had last targeted Abha airport on December 23. The coalition at the time downed an armed drone. No one was injured in the attack.
On December 19, Saudi defenses intercepted two armed Houthi drones fired at Abha airport. They were launched from Sanaa International Airport.
