A fragile peace that held for four years just shattered. On July 13, Houthi rebels fired missiles and drones at Abha International Airport in southern Saudi Arabia, retaliating for Saudi-led coalition strikes on Sanaa International Airport earlier the same day.
The Saudi military intercepted the projectiles, and no casualties or major damage were reported.
What happened and why it escalated
The chain of events started when Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces struck Sanaa airport. The stated goal was to prevent an Iranian plane, allegedly carrying Houthi delegates, from landing.
Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed the objectives of the retaliatory strikes were successfully achieved. He also issued a warning for commercial airlines to avoid Saudi airspace.
