Saudis Launch Airstrikes Against Yemeni Capital of Sanaa

Attacks target airport, no word of casualties

Saudi warplanes carried out at least 11 airstrikes against the Yemeni capital city of Sanaa, according to the Shi’ite Houthi movement. Strikes hit across the city, but the main target appeared to be the Sanaa airport.

There is as of yet no word on how much damage was caused, and no reports from either side mentioned casualties. It would be unusual for there not to be casualties in such a large city, but the airport has been closed by a fuel shortage for weeks anyhow.

The Saudis did not announce any specific goals for the attacks, but media reports attributed them to a recent increase in Houthi strikes on Saudi targets. The Houthis have claimed such strikes, though reports have not backed up many of them, and there seems to have been little hit in Saudi Arabia recently.

Northern Yemen tends to be hit with Saudi strikes fairly regularly, though it is rare that they hit actual military targets; rather, most of the casualties are civilians.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.