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Alsharq Tribune-Ahmed Essam
Yemen's Houthi group said on Friday that its air defense forces intercepted Saudi warplanes which allegedly entered Yemeni airspace to prevent an Iranian civilian aircraft from landing at Sanaa International Airport.
In a statement aired by the group's Al-Masirah television, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said the Saudi aircraft entered Yemeni airspace at about 5:20 a.m. local time in an attempt to stop the Iranian plane, which he said was carrying more than 200 stranded, wounded and sick Yemeni passengers, from landing in Sanaa.
Sarea said Houthi air defense forces fired "a number of air defense missiles," forcing the Saudi aircraft to leave Yemeni airspace.
He warned that any renewed violation of Yemeni airspace or attack would trigger "a comprehensive response" targeting Saudi airports and other strategic facilities.
Saudi authorities did not immediately comment on the Houthi claims.
Earlier in the day, the Houthis announced the arrival of an Iranian civilian aircraft at Sanaa International Airport carrying more than 200 Yemeni patients and stranded passengers.
The aircraft later departed for Tehran with Yemeni patients and travelers, as well as a senior Houthi delegation traveling to attend the funeral ceremonies of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The development comes amid an intensified Houthi mobilization campaign in recent days, with the group organizing tribal gatherings, armed rallies and public demonstrations across areas under its control while renewing calls to end what it describes as a Saudi-led blockade.
Yemen has been mired in conflict since late 2014, when the Houthis seized control of the capital Sanaa, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene the following year in support of the internationally-recognized government.
A UN-mediated truce between the Yemeni government and the Houthis, first reached in April 2022 and renewed twice, lasted for six months before expiring. Both sides have largely maintained a "de facto ceasefire" since then, despite sporadic clashes in several contested regions.
