Saudi-led coalition forces target Yemeni airport in air strike
Yemen’s Houthi group announced late Monday that the Sanaa International Airport, which is under its control, was out of service following airstrikes by the Arab coalition.
This situation, according to many sources, would stop all UN and humanitarian flights through the airport.
“Coalition aircraft directly targeted Sanaa International Airport in a number of strikes, knocking it off the air”, said Raed Jabal, deputy of the Houthi-run General Authority for Civil Aviation and Meteorology, according to the group’s news agency Saba.
Earlier on Monday, the Arab coalition said it carried out “precision air strikes” on six “military” positions at Sanaa International Airport, while a Houthi-run channel said it carried out five strikes, including three on the airport.
In a statement, the coalition said: “We carried out precise and limited airstrikes on legitimate military targets at Sanaa airport”, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.
We dropped protection for certain sites at Sanaa airport, in accordance with international and humanitarian law.
“The Sanaa airport strikes came in response to the threat and the use of its facilities to launch cross-border attacks”, it said.
“The targeted sites are used to manage the activity of car bombs and train terrorist elements on airplanes, the residence of trainers and trainees, and two depots for car bombs”.
“Neutralizing these targets will not affect the airport’s operational capacity, airspace management, air traffic and ground handling operations”, it said.
Meanwhile, al-Masirah satellite channel, which speaks for the Houthis, reported three airstrikes on Sanaa International Airport.
“Coalition aircraft also carried out two raids in Haddayn area in al-Sabeen district in Sanaa”, it added, without elaborating.
“Prior to these strikes, the coalition, through a statement, asked civilians, UN and humanitarian workers to evacuate Sana’a airport immediately”.
Since 2016, the coalition has imposed a ban on all traffic at Sana’a airport, except for humanitarian flights by the United Nations and other international organizations, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross.
On Sunday, the Arab coalition accused the Houthi group of using the airport to launch drones into Saudi Arabia, while the group denies taking the airport for military purposes.
The Houthis regularly launch attacks with drones loaded with explosives and ballistic missiles on targets in southern Saudi Arabia, which leads the coalition.
For days, the coalition has been intensifying airstrikes against what it says are Houthi-controlled positions in Sanaa.
For nearly seven years, Yemen has been witnessing a continuous war between pro-government forces, backed by the coalition, and the Iran-backed Houthis, who have been controlling governorates including Sana’a since September 2014.
