The Houthis this morning have just also issued a warning to travellers and airlines against using Saudi airports following yesterday’s attack. It’s the first public message from the group since Saturday’s deadly assault. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said airports and airspace “are exposed to targeting and constitute a theatre of operations for our forces”, he said, adding that the group was pursuing: “airport for airport, siege for siege, and escalation for escalation”.
He said the airports in Mecca and Medina – the holiest cities in Islam - were excepted.
All week the Houthis have been striking the main international airport, which was first targeted about a fortnight ago as fighting ramped up within Yemen.
The Saudi-led coalition backing the government forces in Yemen have launched an outright offensive in the country this week to try and push back the Houthis who’ve rapidly seized and gained territory these past weeks.
The Houthis have taken over islands in the Bab al- Mandab strait and also staked stronger positions along the Red Sea, crucially seizing control of the main passageway through which its enemy state – top oil exporter Saudi Arabia - had been diverting its flows as the Strait of Hormuz remains shut off.
