ADEN, Yemen, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's government said Thursday that Aden International Airport had resumed normal operations after a temporary suspension triggered by a Houthi attack that damaged its runway a day earlier.
Transport Minister Mohsen Haidara announced the resumption during an inspection of the airport, saying technical teams had carried out urgent repairs to the section of the runway hit in the Wednesday's attack, according to a statement from the Ministry of Transport posted on social media platform X.
Haidara said flights to and from Aden were being rescheduled and airlines had been notified to resume services.
He condemned the attack on what he described as a "civilian facility" serving passengers from across Yemen.
The reopening came a day after explosions were heard near the airport in two rounds of attacks that halted operations and prompted hundreds of passengers, including patients, to leave.
Shortly before the blasts, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea issued what he called a "final" warning urging people at the airport to evacuate immediately.
Sarea claimed that a Saudi military cargo aircraft was at the airport transporting weapons, without providing evidence. The Yemeni government did not immediately respond.
The attack came amid an escalating confrontation between the Houthis and government forces supported by the Saudi-led coalition, with missile, drone and air attacks intensifying in recent days.
Yemen has been mired in conflict since late 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, prompting the coalition to intervene in 2015 in support of the Yemeni government. ■
