Yemen airport targeted in overnight air strikes

Yemen airport targeted in overnight air strikes
Heavy air strikes struck the Yemeni capital of Sanaa overnight on Tuesday, with Houthi rebels blaming the Saudi-led coalition.
1 min read
28 August, 2018
Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen's war in March 2015 [Getty]

Heavy air strikes targeted the international airport in Yemen's rebel-held capital and an adjacent airbase early Tuesday, residents said, with the Houthi rebels blaming the Saudi-led coalition.

The raids began at around midnight Yemen time and lasted half an hour, according to a resident in Sanaa, who reported more than a dozen strikes.

While the largely disused airport and the nearby al-Dailami base are often targeted by coalition air strikes, the latest raids were particularly intense, residents said.

The Houthi rebels accused the coalition of conducting multiple overnight raids on the airport, which is closed except for occasional UN flights, via their al-Masirah TV. 

They did not report any casualties.

The strikes came hours after the Houthis said they had targeted Dubai airport with a drone attack, which was denied by the United Arab Emirates, a leading member of the coalition.

Saudi Arabia and its allies have fought the Iran-backed Houthis since March 2015 in an attempt to restore Yemen's internationally recognised government to power and push back the rebels.

The coalition has faced growing criticism over civilian casualties in a war that has left nearly 10,000 people dead and unleashed what the United Nations describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.