Ansar Allah missiles target Aden International Airport amid escalating fighting in Yemen

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Two missiles launched by Ansar Allah (Houthis) targeted Aden International Airport in southern Yemen, according to what was reported by the media office of the Aden Security Authority, indicating that no casualties were recorded as a result of the attack.

The targeting of the airport comes at a time when several Yemeni fronts are witnessing a widespread military escalation, coinciding with an attack launched by Saudi-backed government forces to reclaim areas controlled by the Houthis during the past weeks, especially on the western coast and around the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

In Saudi Arabia, the coalition led by Riyadh announced that it intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis towards the city of Khamis Mushait in the southwest of the kingdom, where there is an air base.

On Monday, the Houthis announced that they had targeted Riyadh Airport and an Aramco facility, while residents of the Saudi capital reported hearing explosions. The Saudi Civil Aviation Authority said that at least three people were injured in attacks targeting Jizan and Najran airports near the border with Yemen on the same day.

The Saudi authorities did not publicly confirm attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, although the “Flight Radar 24” website, which specializes in tracking air traffic, indicated temporary and repeated closures of the airport’s airspace.

Accusations of war crimes

In another development, video recordings published by Yemeni government forces showed armored vehicles running over Houthi fighters during battles near Bab al-Mandab.

Reuters said that it had verified the recordings, which were filmed from inside armored vehicles, and showed vehicles hitting men, some of whom were armed, while others appeared to be unarmed, including people who were raising their hands, sitting, or lying on the ground.

The Houthis accused government forces of committing war crimes, and said the recordings showed the "true nature" of the forces fighting them.

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The spokesman for the Giants Brigades, the main government force participating in the battles around Bab al-Mandab, said that the brigades are conducting an investigation into the incident. He added that the forces were informed that Houthi fighters were surrendering, before some of them opened fire on government forces.

The Saudi-led coalition did not immediately comment on the recordings or the accusations. On the other hand, the “National Shield” forces issued a directive to its fighters calling for treating prisoners well and adhering to religious, moral and legal standards.

Battles around Bab al-Mandab

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Battles continued near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, one of the most important maritime shipping lanes in the world, after government forces said they had regained areas that had fallen under the control of the Houthis last month.

Late Monday, government forces announced “victories on several fronts,” and military sources said they expelled the Houthis from several areas in Taiz Governorate, and also achieved progress in the south of Ma’rib Governorate.

But the Houthis denied losing any of the areas they controlled, and the group's military spokesman, Yahya Saree, said that its forces still fully control the areas they advanced to during the past month.

Saree added that the Houthis carried out dozens of attacks against government forces in Al-Jawf and Marib governorates, in addition to attacks in Taiz governorate.

It is not possible to independently verify the size of the gains announced by government forces or the Houthis’ narrative, in light of the rapidly changing field situation and the difficulty of journalists reaching combat areas.

The city of Taiz, the third largest city in Yemen, is witnessing fierce fighting, after the Houthi gains in a mountainous area during the past days led to the cutting of a main road linking the city to Aden, according to military sources.

A resident of the city of Mokha, which he left for Aden, said that life in the city “completely stopped,” adding that residents are living in a state of fear and that the city has become a “war zone.”