OMM Newsroom
Yemen’s army said early Thursday that the Houthi group had targeted Al-Rayyan International Airport in Mukalla for the fourth time within hours, Anadolu Agency reported.
Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Majed al-Nuzaili said the “Houthi terrorist militia targeted Al-Rayyan International Airport in Mukalla for the fourth time”, according to September Net, a website affiliated with Yemen’s Defense Ministry.
Al-Nuzaili said in a statement that “targeting airports aims to impose a blockade on the Yemeni people”, the website reported.
Attacks reported at airports in Mukalla and Aden
Al-Rayyan is one of Yemen’s most important civilian airports and serves millions of people in Hadramout and other provinces. The Houthis had not immediately commented on the attack.
On Wednesday, the group attacked Al-Rayyan Airport in eastern Hadramout province with three drones. An Anadolu correspondent said it was the first attack on the airport since military escalation resumed last July.
State-run Saba channel also reported that the Houthis had targeted Aden International Airport in southern Yemen with a ballistic missile, without providing further details. Local residents told Anadolu they heard a loud explosion near the airport.
The developments come as the internationally recognized government continues its military offensive against the Houthis in southwestern Yemen.
Yemen has been embroiled in conflict since the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and several other provinces in September 2014. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government.
