Sanaa forces targeted Aden airport with several missiles on Wednesday after a military transport aircraft carrying a large shipment of ammunition landed there. Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesman for the forces, had called for the airport’s immediate evacuation before the strike. He accused Saudi Arabia of turning the facility into a military base to transport weapons and equipment to allied factions. A military source in Sanaa told Al-Akhbar that several Saudi military transport aircraft had landed in recent hours. Riyadh was using the airport to deliver more weapons by air to support its presence in southern Yemen and prepare for a military escalation south of the Bab Al-Mandab Strait, the source said. The source added that any military transport aircraft landing at airports in areas under occupation in Yemen would be considered a legitimate target. Aden’s Transport Ministry said the airport had come under multiple attacks, forcing Yemenia Airways to divert flights to Djibouti. The strikes come as Saudi Arabia steps up supplies to allied factions, particularly as fighting advances toward Tur al-Bahah, west of Aden. On the fronts around Taiz, Sanaa forces have made significant gains from the south. Saudi airstrikes around the city have failed to halt their advance. The strikes come as Saudi Arabia steps up supplies to allied factions, particularly as fighting advances toward Tur al-Bahah, west of Aden. Field sources told Al-Akhbar that the Houthi movement had made substantial gains on the Sabir Al-Mawadim front following fierce clashes with Saudi-backed armed groups. The Houthis have resumed efforts to secure the remaining areas of Mount Sabir, which overlooks central Taiz, the sources said. They added that defections and the collapse of armed factions’ positions had enabled Sanaa forces to seize Kahlan, Al-Shaqab, Al-Najada and other strategic areas. Control of Mount Sabir would give the Houthis a military advantage in targeting activity around Taiz and leave opposing factions caught between two fronts, the sources said. Local sources reported extensive contacts between leaders inside Taiz and the Sanaa government. These contacts have helped several military and security officials leave the city in recent days. However, armed factions remain deployed in central and southern neighborhoods, including Al-Tahrir, Al-Rawda, Al-Qahira, Al-Jumhuri, Al-Mudhaffar and Wadi Ghafina. Sanaa forces have avoided storming these areas because fighters have entrenched themselves among the civilian population. On the northern front, the Houthis seized additional neighborhoods in Osaifira, less than five kilometers from the city center. Separately, Sanaa’s Health Ministry said Saudi airstrikes on Al-Hazm district in Al-Jawf province, east of Sanaa, killed 14 people and wounded 16 others, including three women. The ministry said the strikes hit the crowded central market in Al-Hazm and several homes nearby. This is an edited translation of a report originally published in Arabic.
