4 US-UK airstrikes target Al Hudaydah International Airport: Houthi group

By Mohammed Sameai

SANAA, Yemen (AA) - The US and UK conducted four airstrikes against the Al Hudaydah International Airport in western Yemen, the Houthi group said Wednesday.

“The US-UK aggression resumes targeting Al Hudaydah International Airport with a fourth airstrike,” the Al-Masirah channel, affiliated with the Houthis, said on Telegram.

It did not provide details about the results of the strikes and there has been no statement from the American or British sides.

Earlier Wednesday, the channel noted that “the US-UK aggression targeted Al Hudaydah International Airport with three airstrikes,” without providing details.

The airport is in the south on the western coast of Yemen and features a 3-kilometer (1.9-mile) runway.

Before the war between the government and the Houthis nine years ago, the airport provided domestic and international flights, but it is currently non-operational due to the conflict's repercussions.

The Houthi group said Monday that the US and UK had targeted Al Hudaydah province with 13 airstrikes, while the province was calm Tuesday.

Al Hudaydah is one of the most important Yemeni provinces with an international airport and three vital ports, in addition to possessing a long coastal strip.

The Yemeni Houthis have been targeting cargo ships in the Red Sea owned or operated by Israeli companies or transporting goods to and from Israel in solidarity with the Gaza Strip, which has been under an Israeli onslaught since Oct. 7.

The Houthis say their attacks aim to pressure Israel to halt its deadly attacks on the Gaza Strip, which have killed around 31,300 Palestinians and injured over 73,000 others since Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas, which killed about 1,200 people.

The US and UK launched airstrikes as of Jan. 12 against Houthi targets in Yemen in retaliation for the group’s attacks, with the Houthis declaring that they consider all American and British ships military targets.​​​​​​​

The Red Sea is one of the world's most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments, and the attacks on shipping have disrupted trade, raising fears of a new bout of inflation and supply chain disruption.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala