Saudi Crown Prince Moves Between Bunker-Equipped Palaces Amid Houthi Attacks

The Wall Street Journal reported that, amid escalating Houthi attacks, Saudi Arabia is seeking air defense systems worldwide and has asked its military ally Pakistan for help.

New York, October 12. /TASS/. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud moves between heavily guarded and fortified palaces amid attacks by Yemen's Houthi movement, Ansarullah, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported.

According to the newspaper, the crown prince last appeared in public on Tuesday when he donated blood as part of the National Blood Donation Ceremony. Since then, he has been moving between palaces equipped with bunkers under strict security. Citing officials familiar with his movements, the newspaper reported that he is being protected by a hand-picked security team personally selected by the crown prince.

Amid the escalation of Houthi attacks, Saudi Arabia is looking around the world for air defense systems and has asked its military ally Pakistan for help, the newspaper reported, citing people familiar with the kingdom's negotiations. Riyadh is also looking to recruit foreign fighters to support its Yemeni allies. At the same time, the kingdom is increasingly seeking a diplomatic solution to an otherwise difficult-to-contain conflict, according to the report.

On October 10, Saudi Arabia's General Directorate of Civil Aviation reported that at least 12 people were killed and 309 injured in an attack on Riyadh airport. On October 11, authorities reported another attack that injured several people. On the same day, Ansarullah admitted that it had carried out "four major operations using ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones" in a 24-hour period.

The armed conflict between the Houthis and Yemeni government forces supported by Saudi Arabia has continued in Yemen since August 2014. In July, the Houthis announced a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia, endangering shipping in the Red Sea and subsequently attacking several Saudi-owned oil tankers. In early August, Ansarullah launched an operation in southwestern Yemen. On September 10–11, the movement took control of the port city of Moka and other key positions along the coast, intensifying the threat to Saudi oil shipments through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. On October 4, Yemeni government forces announced the start of a major military operation to retake rebel-held areas.