Explosions heard near Yemen's Aden airport after Houthi warning

Fresh explosions were heard near Aden International Airport in southern Yemen on Wednesday, shortly after the Houthi group renewed a warning urging people to evacuate the facility.

According to Yemen’s Ministry of Transport, the Houthi group fired two ballistic missiles at the airport.

Shortly before the explosions, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea issued what he called a "final" warning for people at the airport to evacuate immediately.

Sarea claimed a Saudi military cargo aircraft was at the airport transporting weapons, without providing evidence.

According to local media reports, hundreds of passengers had left the airport following the Houthi warnings. The extent of casualties or damage from the latest explosions was not immediately known.

The incident came amid an escalating confrontation between the Houthis and government forces supported by the Saudi-led coalition, with the two sides exchanging missile, drone and air attacks in recent weeks.

The Houthi group noted on Wednesday that in the past 24 hours, the Saudi-led coalition has launched 101 air raids and missile attacks, causing civilian casualties, which has brought the total number of strikes to 3,480.

Saudi Arabia did not respond immediately.

Yemen has been mired in conflict since late 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, prompting the Saudi-led coalition to intervene in 2015 in support of the Yemeni government.

Explosions heard near Yemen's Aden airport after Houthi warning

Explosions heard near Yemen's Aden airport after Houthi warning

Explosions heard near Yemen's Aden airport after Houthi warning

Explosions heard near Yemen's Aden airport after Houthi warning

The navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Thursday in a statement that its electronic warfare unit successfully intercepted and captured a U.S. military spy drone west of the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Iran, its unit managed within the preceding hours to take control of the guidance and navigation systems of a U.S. Army MQM-170 Outlaw "espionage and decoy" drone west of the strait and land it safely.

The drone had been tasked with identifying Iran's air defense systems along the southern coasts, and data recovery showed it had taken off from the coast of a regional country, said the statement.

There was no immediate response from the United States.

On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and U.S. bases and assets in the region, and tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran claims downing of US MQM-170 drone near Strait of Hormuz