Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels said the capital Sanaa International Airport was hit by airstrikes and declared the truce with Saudi Arabia over. The Yemeni government, however, said the strikes were carried out by government forces and denied Saudi involvement.
On the 13th, local time, Houthi Spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a Telegram statement, "Saudi Arabia bombed Sanaa Airport. The de-escalation phase is over."
He warned, "This act of aggression will not pass without cost, and there will be retaliation."
The Houthi foreign ministry also issued a separate statement officially declaring the end of the truce with Saudi Arabia.
The statement condemned, "The criminal Saudi regime ended the de-escalation phase and the truce by attacking Sanaa Airport."
Russia's RIA Novosti reported the strikes were aimed at preventing an Iranian aircraft from landing and that Houthi leadership was aboard the plane scheduled to arrive.
The Sanaa International Airport runway and taxiways were reportedly hit hard in the strikes, and evacuation orders were issued for the airport and nearby areas.
However, the Yemeni government, which is facing off against the Houthis, said the strikes were a government forces operation and denied claims that Saudi Arabia led the attack.
The Yemeni Ministry of National Defense said in a statement, "The terrorist group Houthis, supported by the Iranian regime, blocked the landing of Yemeni national aircraft at Sanaa Airport while trying to force the landing only of Iranian aircraft that violate Yemeni territory," adding, "Accordingly, we targeted the airport runway."
The Yemeni government said the purpose of the strikes was to block the landing of an Iranian aircraft supporting the Houthis.
Saudi Arabia has led a Middle East coalition and fought the Houthis since the rebels seized the capital Sanaa in 2015. The two sides agreed to a truce in 2022 brokered by the United Nations and extended it to October that year, but the formal agreement ended afterward. Still, until recently they held back from resuming full-scale war, effectively maintaining a cease-fire.