The Defence Ministry in Yemen said that its forces have hit the runway at Houthi-controlled Sanaa International Airport to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing.
In a statement, the defence ministry of Yemen claimed that the Houthis had prevented Yemen’s national carrier from landing at Sanaa airport while allowing an Iranian airplane to arrive, “a violation of Yemeni sovereignty.”
“It said that in response, the airport runway was targeted.
Earlier, the Defense Ministry of Yemen had urged civilians to evacuate the airport and surrounding area, warning that the armed forces would respond to any violation of Yemeni airspace.
Flight-tracking data shared online showed that an Airbus A340 operated by Iran’s Mahan Air was traveling from Tehran to Sanaa, drawing widespread attention after the Yemeni government’s warnings.
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The strike came hours after the Defense Ministry of Yemen said that its armed forces would take action against any unauthorized use of Yemeni airspace, adding that political and diplomatic efforts had been exhausted.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council Rashad Al-Alimi blamed the Houthis for the escalation, accusing the group of rejecting government proposals to regulate flights through Yemen’s national carrier and of failing to respect the country’s sovereignty.