Houthi rebels in Yemen offer political asylum to Saudi princes arrested in anti-graft purge

Houthi rebels in Yemen have reportedly offered political asylum to Saudi Arabian princes and nationals facing "persecution" as part of the national purge against corruption led by new Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

On Sunday (5 November), the new Saudi Arabian leadership detained 11 princes, four sitting ministers and several former ministers as part of the anti-graft crackdown, just hours after the 32-year-old crown prince formed a new committee under a royal decree issued by Saudi King Salman.

Soon after the announcement of the arrests in the oil-rich kingdom, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, president of the Houthi-led Revolutionary Committee said that they were ready to take in any Saudi "targeted by the regime".

"To our fellow Al Saud royals, to anyone in the ruling family, to any employee or person who feels targeted by the regime - we're ready to welcome you with open arms to reside with us as our oppressed brothers," al-Houthi wrote on Twitter.

Confirming the rebel group's intentions, a source close to the Houthi leadership told Al Jazeera on Tuesday (7 November) that they were "ready to offer sanctuary to any member of the Al Saud family or any Saudi national that wants to flee oppression and persecution". He also clarified that the offer was "100 percent genuine" and they did not intend to gain any "political mileage" from the situation.

Saudi Arabia, earlier in the week, launched 29 air strikes on Houthi positions in Yemen in retaliation of a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis on a Riyadh airport during the weekend. The Houthi missile was intercepted by the kingdom's defense mechanism and did not result in any loss of life or property, Saudi Arabia said.

The Kingdom held Iran responsible for the attack and said it considered the move an "act of war".