Houthis threaten Aden International Airport and call for its immediate evacuation

The Houthi group called on people at Aden International Airport to leave immediately, claiming that a Saudi military cargo plane carrying weapons was present. Residents said they heard explosions in the city shortly before the warning, amid escalating clashes in Yemen.

The Houthi group on Wednesday called on people at Aden International Airport in southern Yemen to leave immediately, directly threatening to target the airport, which serves as a key humanitarian lifeline for areas controlled by the internationally recognized government.

The group’s military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said in a statement that the evacuation call was issued "because a Saudi military cargo plane carrying weapons is present" at the airport. The allegation could not be independently verified, and Saudi authorities did not immediately comment.

Explosions in Aden

مطار عدن الدولي (أرشيف)

Residents of Aden, the seat of the Saudi-backed government, said they heard explosions in the city shortly before the Houthi warning was issued, but their nature and causes were not immediately clear.

The Houthis have repeatedly targeted the airport in recent weeks. On October 7, it came under attack by two ballistic missiles and booby-trapped drones, one of which fell near the runway, a day after missiles and drones targeted Maashiq Palace, the government’s headquarters in Aden.

Escalation threatens the truce

The developments come amid escalating clashes between the Houthis and government forces. The Houthis have advanced toward the Bab al-Mandab Strait in recent weeks, while government forces are seeking to retake areas along the Red Sea coast. The Saudi-led coalition has intensified airstrikes on Houthi targets after an increase in Houthi attacks on Saudi territory, including missile strikes targeting Riyadh and Taif.

The renewed fighting led to the collapse of the United Nations-brokered truce established in 2022, which had largely halted the attacks, in a country that has been embroiled in conflict since 2014, when the Houthis seized Sanaa and pushed the government southward. Aid organizations have warned of a rapid deterioration in humanitarian conditions.

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