Sanaa, May 6 (Xinhua) – Israeli air strikes severely damaged Sanaa International airport on Tuesday, destroying its landing track, an airliner and significant infrastructure, making the installation inoperative, an anonymity airport official told Xinhua.
The strikes, which hit the Yemeni capital and the neighboring province of Amran in the afternoon, killed three people and injured at least 39, according to the health authorities led by the Houthis. The number of victims was communicated by the Al-Masirah television channel, controlled by the Houthis.
Residents said fires have raged for hours in two Sanaa electric power plants, the flames being visible until the night.
The Israeli army said that these attacks were reprisals for a missile shot launched by the Houthis on Sunday morning against Ben Gurion airport, near Tel Aviv. This attack did eight injured and caused damage near the airport, according to Israeli authorities.
-In a message published on the social network X, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, senior Houthi responsible, has promised new reprisals and missile strikes against Israel “in the coming hours”.
The Houthis, which control a large part of northern Yemen, have launched drones and missiles towards Israel since November 2023, invoking their solidarity with the Palestinians as part of the war in Gaza.
The group does not have modern air defense systems and its civil protection infrastructure is limited. Cities under the control of Houthis, including Sanaa, are without public shelters, and key facilities such as Sanaa airport serve as vital links for civilians, humanitarian operations and diplomatic access.■
 Israeli air strikes paralyze Sanaa airport in Yemen, killing at least 3 dead – Xinhua){kind=link}