Israeli strike destroys airport control in Yemen, kills 3, injures dozens: UN

Yemenis brandish rifles and chant slogans during a demonstration denouncing Israeli strikes and in solidarity with Palestine in Sanaa

Israeli air strikes hit Yemen's main airport as a civilian Airbus 320 with hundreds of passengers on board was landing and a UN delegation was waiting to leave, the UN's top humanitarian official in Yemen. Julien Harneis told UN reporters that the most frightening thing about the two air strikes wasn't their effect on him and about 15 others in the VIP lounge at the international airport in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, including the head of the UN World Health Organisation. Rather, it was the destruction of the airport control tower as a Yemenia Airways plane was taxiing in after touching down.

Yemen's Deputy Transport Minister Faisal al-Sayani. Pic/PTI

"Fortunately, that plane was able to land safely and the passengers were able to disembark, but it could have been far, far worse," said Harneis, who was with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in the lounge. He said one air strike landed approximately 300 metres south of the VIP lounge and another about 300 metres to the north, while about five members of the UN team were outside the building. The UN said at least three people were killed and dozens injured in the strike. Among the injured was a crew member from the UN Humanitarian Air Service, which was about to fly the UN delegation of some 20 people out of Sanaa.

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