The Israeli military carried out an air strike on Yemen’s main airport in Sana’a yesterday, its second attack in two days on Iran-aligned Houthi rebels after a surge in tensions between the group and Israel.
Israel warned people to leave the area around Sana’a International Airport before the attack, which it said targeted Houthi infrastructure and ‘fully disabled the airport’. Witnesses later reported four strikes in the capital.
Tensions have been high since the Gaza war began, but have risen further since a Houthi missile landed near Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday, prompting Israeli air strikes on Yemen’s Hodeidah port on Monday.
“A short while ago, IDF (Israel Defence Forces) fighter jets struck and dismantled Houthi terrorist infrastructure at the main airport in Sana’a, fully disabling the airport,” the Israeli military said.
“The strike was carried out in response to the attack launched by the Houthi terrorist regime against Ben Gurion Airport. Flight runways, aircraft, and infrastructure at the airport were struck.”
There was no immediate word of any casualties in the strike, which was preceded by Israel issuing a warning to evacuate the area around the airport and publishing a map of the vicinity.
Three airport sources told Reuters that the strikes targeted three civilian airplanes, the departures hall, the airport runway and a military air base under Houthi control.
The Israeli military said the airport had been “a central hub for the Houthi terrorist regime to transfer weapons and operatives.”
Mohammed Al Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi political bureau, told pro-Iran Al Mayadeen broadcaster that the movement would hit back.
“Our military operation in support of Gaza will continue and will not stop,” he said. “Wait for the Yemeni response.”
The Houthis have been firing at Israel and at shipping in the Red Sea since Israel began its military offensive against Hamas and said they are doing so in solidarity with the Palestinians.
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