Houthi Missiles, Drones Hit Aden Airport as Flight Nears

Was this an attack on civilians or a legitimate hit on Saudi military supplies?

Published 3 days ago

Houthi Missiles, Drones Hit Aden Airport as Flight Nears

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Above: Aden airport in Yemen on May 10, 2023. Image credit: Saleh Al-Obeidi/AFP/Getty Images

The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

Two ballistic missiles and several explosive drones were fired at Aden's airport, and one landed near the runway minutes before a flight from Cairo was due to touch down. Calling the target Saudi military supplies does not put the passengers back on the ground. Striking the main gateway into government-held Yemen, with hundreds of thousands already displaced, is an attack on civilians.

Arab News

Establishment-critical narrative

Airports became targets when government forces backed by Saudi Arabia bombed Sanaa's runway to stop an Iranian flight from landing. The Houthis answered by striking Abha and now Aden in what was a hit on Saudi military supplies. Each strike closes another route in or out for Yemeni civilians, and the Saudi-led offensive aimed at retaking Sanaa makes more of them likely.

HRW Al Jazeera