BBC News, Arabic Go to content Main Home Watch Listen Main Sections News Economy Health and Science Culture and Arts World Cup 2026 Investigations News Economy Health and Science Culture and Arts World Cup 2026 Investigations The Houthis target Abha Airport and warn against flying in Saudi airspace. A photo issued by Reuters.
The official spokesperson of the coalition forces led by Saudi Arabia in Yemen announced on Monday that they intercepted ballistic missiles fired by the Houthi movement towards the southern region of Saudi Arabia.
The movement stated that they targeted Abha Airport in Saudi Arabia in response to the strikes that hit Sana'a Airport, which they held Riyadh responsible for.
The military spokesperson for the Houthi armed forces, Major General Yahya Saree, warned airlines against flying in Saudi airspace "before lifting the siege on Sana'a Airport".
Earlier, the Houthi movement announced on Monday that Sana'a International Airport was subjected to several Saudi airstrikes, while the Yemeni government stated that its forces targeted the runway of Sana'a Airport to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing there.
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The spokesperson for the Houthi armed forces, Major General Yahya Saree, stated that Saudi airstrikes targeted Sana'a International Airport, describing the attack as "an unjust and blatant aggression".
Saree added that targeting the airport "ended the de-escalation phase", holding Saudi Arabia accountable for "the consequences of its aggression", and affirming that the attack "will not go unresponded and punished", according to his expression.
Al-Masirah TV, a media outlet affiliated with the movement, reported that Sana'a International Airport was subjected to Saudi airstrikes, without providing additional details regarding the nature of the damage or losses resulting from them.
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The Houthi Ministry of Transport accused Saudi Arabia of targeting Sana'a International Airport with a number of airstrikes, considering it "a serious escalation" and a continuation of the siege on Yemen.
The ministry called on the United Nations and the international community to bear their responsibilities, warning of the repercussions of what it described as "repeated aggression".
The official spokesperson for the Houthi movement, Mohammed Abdulsalam, accused Saudi authorities of being behind the siege imposed on Yemen, asserting that they do not believe in any peace with their Yemeni neighbors and also "stalling" the implementation of the roadmap and "rejecting all solutions to reactivate Sana'a International Airport".
A Yemeni citizen told the BBC that the closure of Sana'a Airport will have a profound impact on civilians and travel movements, given that thousands of families need medical treatment.
The truce reached in 2022 after years of fighting between a Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis has largely held.
The truce has continued despite the escalation in the region related to the Israeli war on Gaza, during which the Houthis targeted ships in the Red Sea, in addition to the conflict with Iran.
Another Yemeni told the BBC that "targeting Sana'a Airport to prevent a civilian aircraft carrying a Yemeni delegation from landing clearly confirms that the siege is still in place".
He added that "the success of the aircraft in landing at Al Hudaydah Airport indicates that there are arrangements and alternative plans to ensure the continuation of air traffic despite these restrictions".
The internationally recognized Yemeni government backed by a Saudi-led military coalition stated on Monday that its armed forces targeted the runway of Sana'a Airport, which is under the control of the Houthis, to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing there.
In a statement from the Yemeni Ministry of Defense reported by the Saba news agency, it stated, "The Houthi terrorist militias supported by the Iranian regime prevented the Yemeni national airlines from landing at Sana'a Airport, insisting that the Iranian aircraft violates Yemeni territory, and thus the runway was targeted," according to the Yemeni government's description.
This comes amidst rising tension regarding air traffic at Sana'a Airport following talks about the group’s readiness to receive a new aircraft coming from Iran, amidst objections from the Yemeni government that emphasizes the necessity of operating the airport according to legal and sovereignty frameworks.
Yemeni Presidential Council head Rashad Alim said he does not intend to "expand the scope of confrontation".