Yemenis Battle for Aden Airport, Stoking Fears of Wider Conflict
In a major escalation of Yemen’s civil conflict, rival factions fought for control of the international airport in the southern city of Aden early Thursday, leaving at least three people dead and forcing the airport to shut down, according to witnesses and security officials.
Loud explosions could be heard around the airport throughout the morning and army units from the city and from neighboring provinces could be seen heading to the battle, witnesses said, as fears of a widening conflict grew. Passengers on a plane preparing to depart to Cairo were ordered to disembark and were escorted back to the terminal, according to The Associated Press.
Tensions have been building in Aden for months, reflecting the accelerating political crisis that began when the Houthi rebel militia took control of the capital, Sana, in northern Yemen last year.
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