Israeli airstrikes hit Yemen's Sanaa, Amran

Sanaa/Jerusalem, May 6 (IANS) Intensive Israeli airstrikes struck Yemen's capital Sanaa and the northern province of Amran on Tuesday afternoon.

Local witnesses reported thick black smoke rising over both Sanaa and Amran following the attacks. In Sanaa, the strikes hit Sanaa International Airport, the Dhahban power plant, and two military sites.

In Amran, about 60 km north of the capital, airstrikes reportedly targeted a concrete factory.

The Israeli military later confirmed that it carried out the strikes, saying it has rendered the airport inoperable, and that another target, the concrete factory in Amran, was used by Houthi forces for military purposes.

Minutes before the strike, an Israeli army spokesman issued a warning on social media platform X, urging civilians in the area to evacuate immediately.

The military said the strike was in response to a missile launched by Houthi forces on Sunday toward Israel's Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Xinhua news agency reported. The missile caused four light injuries and some damage, according to Israel's emergency services. The Houthis said the launch was in retaliation for Israel's war in Gaza.

Tuesday's airstrike followed a series of Israeli attacks on Yemen's Hodeidah province a day earlier, which killed at least four people and wounded 39 others. The airstrikes hit the port city of Hodeidah, its airport, a cement factory, and military sites northeast of the city, causing significant damage to infrastructure.

The Houthi forces, who control much of northern Yemen, have been targeting Israel since November 2023 in what they describe as an act of solidarity with Palestinians. The group has said it would halt its attacks if Israel ends its military campaign and blockade on Gaza.

--IANS

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