After evacuation order, Israeli Air Force strikes Yemen’s Sanaa Airport & other Houthi targets

In a second wave of airstrikes in 24 hours, the Israeli Air Force hit several targets in the Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen, including the capital of Sana’a, in response to the missile attack on Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport.

In the early afternoon, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Arabic Spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee published an unprecedented evacuation order for the Sana’a International Airport, which was the largest of several targets that were struck.

“We call upon you to evacuate the airport area – Sana’a International Airport – immediately and warn everyone in your vicinity of the need to evacuate this area immediately. Failure to evacuate and move away from the place exposes you to danger,” Adraee said.

#عاجل ‼️ انذار عاجل إلى جميع المتواجدين في منطقة مطار صنعاء الدولي وفق ما يعرض في الخارطة المرفقة.
⭕️ندعوكم إلى اخلاء منطقة المطار - مطار صنعاء الدولي - بشكل فوري وتحذير كل من يتواجد بجواركم عن ضرورة اخلاء هذه المنطقة فورًا
⭕️عدم الاخلاء والابتعاد عن المكان يعرضكم للخطر pic.twitter.com/5qXw5x4SBD

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) May 6, 2025

Shortly afterwards, the Israeli strikes hit Sana’a Airport, several central power stations, and a concrete factory.

The military’s statement said that the airport was shut down completely, after the evacuation order had reportedly caused a mass panic and flight from the area.

“The strikes were carried out in a targeted manner, with precautionary measures taken as much as possible to minimize harm to civilians and civilian property,” the IDF said, adding the attacks were a response to the missile attack at Ben Gurion Airport.

Israel continues to strike Sana'a International Airport, targeting the departures and arrivals terminals, as well as a power station located south of the airport. pic.twitter.com/7wRfFDLPYb

— OSINTWarfare (@OSINTWarfare) May 6, 2025

Sana’a Airport, “similar to the Hodeidah port that was attacked last night, is used by the Houthi terror organization to transfer weapons and operatives, and is routinely operated by the Houthi regime for terror purposes,” the IDF added.

On Tuesday, the Houthi Health Ministry stated that four people were killed and 39 wounded in the Israeli strikes on Hodeidah the evening before.

According to the Israeli military, the attacked power stations were “exploited by the Houthi terror regime as significant electricity supply infrastructure for the regime – yet another example of how the Houthi regime uses the Yemeni people and their civilian infrastructure for terrorism.”

Footage of the targeted cement factory by an Israeli airstrike in the Amran Governorate. pic.twitter.com/MYZ9iZvpF0

— OSINTWarfare (@OSINTWarfare) May 6, 2025

The “Al-Amran” concrete factory north of Sanaa served as an “important resource for the Houthi terror regime and is used in building the organization's tunnels and military infrastructure. Damaging the factory constitutes a blow to the regime’s economy and its military buildup,” the IDF added.

Earlier in the day, senior Houthi official Hazem al-Assad told the news outlet al-Arabi that the “threats to attack Sanaa do not scare us. Attacking the Sanaa airport will not diminish our willingness to help Gaza, and it will be met with a response, because Yemen has the capabilities to respond.”

“These attacks, whatever the cost, will not let the Yemeni people down and they [the Houthis] will continue to protect the residents of Gaza,” he said.