Striking by Air—and Online
Just minutes after today’s (Tuesday) Israeli Air Force strike on Sana’a International Airport, Google updated the airport’s status to “Permanently Closed.” The update appeared almost instantly in search results, offering a digital seal of finality to the blow dealt to one of the Houthi regime’s most critical infrastructure sites.
The IDF Takes Out Sana’a Airport
The strike was carried out in response to a ballistic missile launch toward Ben Gurion Airport. Israeli Air Force fighter jets destroyed runways, a control tower, the main terminal, and aircraft parked on the ground. Simultaneously, power stations and a concrete plant—used by the Houthis for constructing military infrastructure such as tunnels and firing positions—were also targeted.
According to the IDF Spokesperson’s statement, these were strategic targets exploited by the Houthi regime for military purposes, under the guise of civilian use: “The Air Force struck and destroyed terror infrastructure in the Sana’a area and fully disabled the airport,” the statement read.
The airport, the IDF added, was used to transfer weapons and operatives, making it a key component in the growth of the terror regime.
Strategic Infrastructure and Economic Disruption
The attack on the airport, and on power stations such as Haziz and Dhahban, was meant, according to the IDF, to prevent the Houthis from using civilian infrastructure for terrorism and to disrupt the group’s economy. Widespread power outages were reported across most of the Yemeni capital, along with panic and evacuations of staff even before the strike began.
