Iran-backed Houthi rebels said Saudi-led airstrikes hit a crowded market in al-Hazm, the capital of al-Jawf province, on Wednesday, killing 14 people and wounding 15 others. Anees al-Asbahi, a spokesperson for the Houthi-run Health Ministry, said the dead included three children and two women. The strike hit near a gas station around midday while the market was packed with shoppers.
Also on Wednesday, the internationally recognized Yemeni government said the Houthis launched two ballistic missiles at Aden airport. The Transportation Ministry called the attacks a direct threat to passengers and aviation crews, and released video showing two craters on the runway. Earlier, Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree urged civilians to evacuate the airport, claiming without evidence that a Saudi military cargo plane carrying weapons was there. The airport was deserted afterward, and flights from Cairo and Mumbai were diverted to Seiyun Airport.
Meanwhile, Yemeni government officials appealed for international help to protect civilians and reopen roads into Taiz as Houthi rebels tightened their siege of the city. Taiz Governor Nabil Shamsan said residents lost access to about 3 million liters of water from wells in Wadi al-Dhubab, which he said is now under Houthi control. Legal affairs minister Eshraq al-Maqtari said more than 2,000 projectiles and explosives struck Taiz city districts in recent days and called for cutting off the rebels' weapon supplies and funding. Shamsan said the city is encircled on all four sides.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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