More than 20 deaths are reported following a large-scale attack at the Aden Airport in Yemen during the new government’s arrival; Iranian-sponsored Houthi Rebels are accused of the attack.
Immediately following the arrival of Yemen’s new government to Aden Airport on Wednesday, an attack was carried out by what is reported to have been the Houthi Rebels, which are the Iranian-sponsored group that Yemen’s government has conflicted with for years now.
An explosion was reported shortly after they arrived from Saudi Arabia, followed by many gunshots and even mortar shells. And as the newly-elected cabinet, other government officials, and civilians sought to flee the scene, reports suggest that at least 25 people were tragically killed, with approximately 100 or more injured.
Among the dead is at least one junior official.
In one source of footage, either a missile or a mortar can be seen impacting the tarmac near the plane.
Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism, Moammar Al-Eryani, took to Twitter after the attack stating, “We assure our ppl that all cabinet members r safe, &cowardly terrorist attack by Iran-backed Houthi militia on Aden airport will not deter us from our duty & our life isn’t more valuable than other Yemenis. May Allah have mercy on souls of martyrs, &wish fast recovery 4injured.”
Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed later added, “We and the members of the government are in the temporary capital of Aden, and everyone is fine. The cowardly terrorist act that targeted Aden airport is part of the war that is being waged against the Yemeni state and its great people. It only increases our determination to carry out our duties.”
The Yemeni government has been struggling with the Rebels since 2014 (the beginning of the Yemen Civil War). Today, well over 100,000 people have been killed due to the ongoing conflict, which is likely only to increase as the new government pursues a healthy relationship with Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries.
Egypt, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) all condemned the attack.
