Yemen’s Houthi rebels attacked Aden International Airport on Wednesday morning. According to the Yemeni Ministry of Transport, they used ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones.
Aden International Airport is Yemen’s main international gateway outside Houthi control.
The missile reportedly landed near the airport runway minutes before a flight from Cairo was due to land, forcing it to divert to Jeddah. Two planes on the runway were moved away from the area for fear of further attacks, the Transport Ministry said.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a statement that the group had also attacked King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with several drones. There was no immediate confirmation of an attack on the Saudi airport.
Another Houthi ballistic missile was intercepted and destroyed north of Riyadh by the Saudi-led coalition, which said it had tracked the launch to a site in Houthi-controlled Sanaa.
The attacks came as fighting intensified on several fronts in Yemen. Saudi-backed government forces have launched a counteroffensive against the Houthi as the Yemeni insurgent group has made territorial gains along the Red Sea coast in recent weeks.
Bid for the Red Sea
Government forces, backed by air support from the Saudi-led coalition, launched a lightning offensive to retake territory along the Red Sea coast. The operation succeeded in driving the Houthis out of areas around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the city of Mocha, which they had seized last month.
In a separate statement, Saree said the Houthis had targeted Abha International Airport and an air base in Khamis Mushait with ballistic missiles and drones. It was not immediately clear whether this was related to the missile the coalition said it intercepted near Khamis Mushait. Saudi authorities did not immediately confirm an attack on Abha International Airport.
Edited by: Elizabeth Schumacher
