SANAA, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group on Monday warned international airlines against operating in Saudi airspace, saying the kingdom's skies could become a "theater of operations" amid an escalating military confrontation between the two sides.
In a statement carried by the group's Al-Masirah TV channel, the Houthi-run Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center said the notice was directed at all airlines operating in Saudi airspace, intended to safeguard civilian aviation and passengers.
It claimed that Saudi military aircraft were carrying out attacks against Houthi-held areas in Yemen, and Saudi airspace should therefore be considered unsafe for civilian aviation.
The statement did not specify when or where potential Houthi operations could take place, or identify particular airports or air corridors that could be affected.
Saudi authorities did not immediately respond to the warning.
The warning came as fighting in Yemen intensified sharply, with a Saudi-led coalition launching large-scale air operations on Monday and government forces announcing a "strategic offensive" on Houthi-held Sanaa. The coalition said 100 fighter jets took part in "Operation Dawn of Yemen," claiming 324 Houthi targets destroyed since the campaign began.
Fighting has also intensified around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a vital shipping route linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis seized the Red Sea port city of Mocha on Sept. 10 and Mayyun Island inside the strait a day later, prompting government forces to mount counteroffensives aimed at reversing the group's gains during the past hours.
The Houthis seized Sanaa in late 2014, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention in support of Yemen's internationally recognized government in March 2015. ■
