Strikes blamed on Saudi Arabia killed 14 people in Houthi-held Yemen on Wednesday, according to a preliminary toll reported by the Houthi broadcaster Almasirah. The broadcaster said 10 others were wounded, including women and children. The attacks hit a market and a petrol station in the northwestern Jawf province.
On the same day, the Houthis targeted the perimeter of Aden airport in the government stronghold of Aden. A missile fell inside the perimeter shortly before the Iran-backed group called on people to leave the area, a local police source said. The source spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns.
Houthi attacks on Aden airport continue
The police source said a Saudi military aircraft was at the airport when the strike hit. He added that the plane was not hit and took off shortly afterwards. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a Telegram post that a Saudi cargo plane carrying weapons was at the airport and urged people there to evacuate.
Also read: Houthi attacks hit Aden airport and targets in Saudi Arabia · Saudi Arabia intercepts Houthi missiles, issues shelter warnings
The Houthis have targeted Aden several times in recent weeks. They have also stepped up attacks on Saudi Arabia while battling the government it backs in Aden. A police official in Aden said on Saturday that the group had targeted a Saudi-led coalition military position near the airport, which had also been hit the previous week. Two missiles also landed inside the airport perimeter earlier this month, a day after a deadly missile attack struck the presidential palace in Aden.
Collapse of the 2022 truce and Red Sea fighting
The latest violence follows the collapse in July of a fragile 2022 truce. The Houthis had allowed an Iranian plane to land in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, in defiance of Saudi control over Yemeni airspace, and attacks followed. The group then declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and began hitting its ships, territory and oil facilities.
The Houthis later seized government-held territory along the Red Sea coastline in a rapid campaign. They have also reported frequent Saudi airstrikes in response. The fighting has shifted the focus of the wider Middle East war that erupted with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February.
