At least 151 passengers aboard a Yemenia Airways flight bound for Cairo had a narrow escape after two missiles launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels struck the premises of Aden International Airport on Friday, raising fears of a major humanitarian disaster.
According to Yemen's internationally recognised government, missiles landed within the airport complex as the Yemenia flight was preparing to depart for the Egyptian capital.
Yemen's information ministry said in a statement that a Yemenia Airways flight from Aden to Cairo narrowly missed being struck. It was "preparing for takeoff at the very moment when the terrorist Houthi militia targeted the airport with two missiles that landed approximately 500 metres from the aircraft and about 100 metres from the centre of the runway," a statement said.
The ministry stated that the dangerous attack could have resulted in a catastrophic incident with numerous casualties, demonstrating the Houthis' disregard for civilian lives.
"What occurred was not merely an assault on a civilian airport, but a direct threat to the lives of passengers and flight crews, to aviation safety, and a grave violation of international laws and norms," said Yemen's information ministry.
The incident has heightened tensions in Yemen's long-running civil war. Aden serves as the temporary capital for the internationally recognised government and has been the target of repeated attacks by the Houthi movement.
The international community has frequently called for the protection of civilian infrastructure in Yemen, but airports, ports, and other vital facilities continue to be affected by the conflict.
Source: Yemen's information ministry
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