Houthi officials accused Saudi Arabia of attacking Sanaa International Airport on Monday, claiming the strike was a response to a dispute over an Iranian plane carrying a Houthi delegation. The group vowed retaliation for what it termed Saudi aggression.
The Houthi movement (Ansar Allah) accused Saudi Arabia of striking Sanaa International Airport on Monday afternoon, vowing retaliation and claiming the attack was triggered by a dispute over an Iranian Mahan Air flight that landed in the Houthi-controlled capital carrying a delegation and wounded individuals. The accusation, issued at 16:53 Jerusalem, follows hours of military activity that The Zioneer has tracked since the first reports emerged at 14:42 Jerusalem.
At 14:42 Jerusalem, the Houthi military spokesman explicitly accused Saudi Arabia of airstrikes on the airport, calling it 'unjust aggression' (version 2). Simultaneously, a military channel reported that Saudi jets had destroyed runways (version 6), Al-Arabi released footage of the initial moments of the strike (version 5), and social media video showed the aftermath (version 4). Sources confirmed the airstrikes (version 3). Earlier, at 14:19 Jerusalem, the anti-Houthi Yemeni Defense Ministry had issued an evacuation warning for the airport and its surroundings. By 14:58 Jerusalem, a state of alert was declared at all Saudi airports amid fears of a Houthi response. Corroboration evolved from a single Houthi claim to multiple sources and visual evidence across the thread.
As The Zioneer reported on Friday, Jul 3, 20:16 Jerusalem, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree warned that the group would strike Saudi airports if the Saudi-American blockade on Yemen continued. On Sunday, Jul 12, 23:56 Jerusalem, the Houthi foreign ministry warned Saudi Arabia that disrupting Sanaa airport operations would have consequences. The immediate context for Monday's strike includes the landing of an Iranian Mahan Air flight on Monday, Jul 6, 09:17 Jerusalem, which reportedly carried 200 injured individuals and a Houthi delegation, according to an unverified report. Saudi jets had also struck Houthi positions near the Bab el-Mandeb strait on Friday, Jul 3, 12:39 Jerusalem.
The Saudi-led coalition has not commented on the Houthi claim. The extent of damage to the airport remains unclear, and the Houthi threat of retaliation raises the risk of further escalation. The group's assertion that the strike was a response to the Iranian plane dispute is unverified.
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Source and signal
- Internal intake