Israel Defense Forces Strike Airport in Yemen's Capital, Sana'a

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) fighter jets struck the airport in Yemen's capital, Sana'a, and completely disabled it in response to a Houthi attack on Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, according to an IDF press release.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org by Tomás Del Coro, https://creativecommons.org/public-domain/pdm/

F-16

"The strikes were carried out on runways, aircraft, and airport infrastructure," the statement said.

Sana'a International Airport serves the capital and northern provinces of Yemen. It shares a runway with the Al-Dailami Air Base.

Click here to see more videos from the site of the missile strike

Additionally, the IDF targeted several power plants and the Al-Imran cement factory near Sana'a, which, according to Israel, the Houthis "use for terrorist purposes."

"This operation was approved by the Commander of the Israeli Air Force, Major General Tomer Bar, and the Chief of Staff of the IDF, Major General (Ret.) Eyal Zamir," the Israeli army added.

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Sanaa officially the Sanaa Municipality, is the de jure capital and largest city of Yemen. The city is the capital of the Sanaa Governorate, but is not part of the governorate, as it forms a separate administrative unit. At an elevation of 2,300 metres (7,500 ft), Sanaa is one of the highest capital cities in the world and is next to the Sarawat Mountains of Jabal An-Nabi Shu'ayb and Jabal Tiyal, considered to be the highest mountains in the Arabian Peninsula and one of the highest in the Middle East. Sanaa has a population of approximately 3,292,497 (2023), making it Yemen's largest city. As of 2020, the greater Sanaa urban area makes up about 10% of Yemen's total population. The Old City of Sanaa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has a distinctive architectural character, most notably expressed in its multi-story buildings decorated with geometric patterns. Al-Saleh Mosque, the largest in the country, is located in the southern outskirts of the city.