Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis on Monday said they would respond to an attack on Sanaa airport which they blamed on Saudi Arabia, and was later claimed by the Riyadh-backed Yemeni government.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree accused Saudi Arabia of "ending the de-escalation phase and bearing full responsibility for the consequences of its aggression. We affirm that this aggression will not go unanswered or unpunished."
The Saudi-backed government in Yemen said it struck Sanaa's airport on Monday following a dispute over an Iranian plane carrying a Houthi delegation.
"The terrorist Houthi militias -- backed by the Iranian regime -- prevented Yemeni national aircraft from landing at the airport in the capital, Sana'a, while insisting on allowing an Iranian plane to violate Yemeni territory; consequently, the airport runway was targeted," the Yemeni defence ministry said.
The Houthi's al-Masirah TV had previously reported that "Saudi aggression targeted the departure and landing runways at the Sanaa international airport."
Orders to evacuate the airport and surrounding areas have been issued.
A Saudi-led coalition based in Yemen’s south for years has been fighting the Houthis, controlling the northwest regions.
