Intense air strikes target airport in Yemen capital

SANAA - Heavy air strikes targeted the international airport in Yemen's rebel-held capital and an adjacent airbase early Tuesday, residents said, with rebels blaming the Saudi-led coalition fighting on the side of the government.

The raids began at around midnight (2100 GMT Monday) and lasted half an hour, according to a resident in Sanaa, who reported more than a dozen strikes.

While the largely disused airport and the nearby Al-Dailami base are often targeted by coalition air strikes, the latest raids were particularly intense, residents said.

The Huthi rebels accused the coalition of conducting multiple overnight raids on the airport, which is closed except for occasional UN flights, via their Al Masirah TV.

They did not report any casualties.

The strikes came hours after the Huthis said they had targeted Dubai airport with a drone attack, which was denied by the United Arab Emirates, a leading member of the coalition.

Saudi Arabia and its allies have fought the Iran-backed Huthis since 2015 in an attempt to restore Yemen's internationally recognised government to power and push back the rebels.

The coalition has faced growing criticism over civilian casualties in a war that has left nearly 10,000 people dead and unleashed what the United Nations describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

But the coalition has hit back, with spokesman Col. Turki al Maliki criticising UN agencies for the "biased positions" of reports using information that is "prejudiced" and based on "rebel stories".