Airstrikes Hit Yemen's Capital Airport... Houthi Rebels Claim "Saudi Responsible, Ceasefire Over"

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed on July 13 (local time) that Saudi Arabia carried out multiple airstrikes targeting the international airport in the capital, Sanaa.

Yahya Saree, spokesperson for the Houthis who currently control Sanaa, issued a statement via Telegram, declaring, "The Saudi side bombed Sanaa Airport," and strongly condemned the act, saying, "This marks the end of the recent de-escalation phase." He further escalated his warning by stating, "We will surely retaliate for this act of aggression, and it will not go unanswered."

Subsequently, the Houthi foreign ministry also issued an official statement announcing the end of the ceasefire with Saudi Arabia. The ministry condemned the Saudi regime for "ending the peace phase and the ceasefire by targeting Sanaa Airport and committing criminal acts."

In relation to this, Russia's RIA Novosti news agency reported that the airstrikes that day were aimed at preventing an Iranian aircraft from landing. The agency added that Houthi leadership figures were aboard the Iranian aircraft attempting to land. The bombing reportedly caused significant damage to the runway and taxiways at Sanaa Airport, and evacuation orders were issued for the airport and surrounding areas.

Meanwhile, the Yemeni government, which is in conflict with the Houthis, countered that the airstrikes were not carried out by Saudi Arabia but by their own forces, denying the Houthi claim of Saudi involvement. The government also confirmed that the purpose of the strikes was to block the entry of Iranian aircraft supporting the Houthis.

The Yemeni Ministry of Defense stated, "The terrorist Houthi group, controlled by the Iranian regime, refused to allow Yemeni-flagged aircraft to land at Sanaa Airport while forcibly attempting to land Iranian aircraft seeking to violate Yemeni territory." The ministry rebutted, "In response, we targeted and struck the airport's runway."

Since the Houthis seized control of the Yemeni capital Sanaa in 2015, Saudi Arabia has formed a Middle Eastern coalition and conducted operations against the Houthis.

Both sides entered a two-month ceasefire in April 2022, during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, under mediation by the United Nations (UN). The truce was extended twice more, lasting until October of the same year. Although the official ceasefire expired due to a lack of further agreement, both parties had largely refrained from escalating into all-out war, maintaining a de facto ceasefire until recently.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.