Fighter jets from the Israeli Air Force launched airstrikes on Yemen’s capital on Tuesday, targeting Sanaa International Airport. The airport is under the control of the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
The strike followed a warning issued by the Israeli military and comes just days after a Houthi missile landed near Israel’s main airport in Tel Aviv.
According to Al-Masirah TV, a media outlet run by the Houthis, “American-Israeli aggression targets Sanaa International Airport with a series of raids.”
Meanwhile, IDF confirmed the strike saying, "For the second time in less than a day, the Air Force attacked terrorist targets of the Houthi terrorist regime in Yemen. The Air Force recently attacked and destroyed the Houthi terrorist organization's infrastructure at the central airport in the Sana'a area, leading to its complete shutdown, following the Houthi terrorist organisation's firing on Ben Gurion Airport."
Retaliation after missile hits Ben Gurion Airport
The strikes came in direct response to a missile attack on Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv on Sunday. The rocket, fired by Houthi forces, landed close to an access road near the main terminal. Emergency services said six people were injured.
Watch: Israel-Houthi conflict: Israeli strikes reported in Yemen's Hodeida
The Houthis later warned of a “comprehensive aerial blockade” on Israel and vowed to keep targeting airports in response to Israeli military actions in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised more strikes against the Houthis following the attack on Israel’s airport.
“We operated against them in the past and we will operate in the future,” he said. “It’s not ‘bang — that’s it,’ but there will be bangs.”
On Monday, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed they had already carried out airstrikes on additional Houthi targets, including Hudaydah Port and a cement factory in Bajil.
The IDF said the port was being used to transfer Iranian weapons, and described the cement factory as “a significant economic resource” that helped build tunnels and other infrastructure for the group.
Houthis say civilians injured, blame Israel and the US
Houthi health officials claimed that at least 21 people were injured in the attack on the Sanaa airport.
The group accused both the United States and Israel of carrying out the strikes. However, a US defence official told AFP that American forces “did not participate” in the attacks on Yemen.