Saudi-led coalition airstrikes hit Yemen's capital airport and residential area; mutual attacks on civilian aviation infrastructure exact toll on civilians

According to reports by Houthi-affiliated media and relayed by Al Jazeera, the Saudi-led coalition carried out multiple rounds of strikes in Yemen on Sunday, targeting the Houthi-controlled Sanaa International Airport and the Hafiz Sufyan district in Amran province, north of the capital. The Hafiz Sufyan district was hit by seven airstrikes on the same day. Reuters reported that Saudi officials did not immediately comment on the airstrikes on Sanaa airport and the Hafiz Sufyan district.

The backdrop to these airstrikes is Saudi Arabia's hardline response to the October 10 attack on an airport passenger terminal. The Saudi Gazette, citing coalition spokesperson Brigadier General Turki al-Maliki, reported that Saudi Arabia has characterized that strike as a war crime, accusing the Houthis of violating international humanitarian law and the laws and customs of war, and pledged that "the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition will respond decisively in accordance with international humanitarian law." The Saudi Gazette, citing the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), reported that the October attack killed 12 people, including four Saudis, two Bangladeshis, and one person each from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, and Sudan. The Houthis have not claimed responsibility for the October 10 terminal attack, but claim to have launched two attacks on a Riyadh airport earlier this week.

Beyond Sunday's airstrikes, according to the Houthi-operated Ministry of Health, coalition airstrikes on a residential building in the Bab al-Shaab district of Sanaa wounded six civilians, including a woman and a child.

Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree issued a fresh warning the same day, urging airlines, companies, and travelers not to use Saudi Arabian airspace, with only the airports of Mecca and Medina exempted. He reportedly posted on X that the armed forces "remain firmly committed to the announced equation of parity — airport for airport, blockade for blockade, escalation for escalation, until our stated objectives are achieved," with the warning directed at all shipping companies, airline experts, employees, staff, and travelers.

The Saudi-led coalition, long backed by the United States and Britain in arms, intelligence, and diplomatic support, has repeatedly struck civilian infrastructure — including airports, ports, and roads — since intervening in Yemen's war in 2015, causing sustained civilian casualties. The Houthis have extended the scope of their drone and missile attacks into Saudi territory and Red Sea shipping, with mutual strikes between the two sides around civil aviation and shipping hubs continuing to escalate. With this war dragging on for years yet long remaining out of international focus, it is ordinary travelers, residents near airports, and Yemenis who depend on civilian flights for their livelihoods that have continued to pay the price.