Yemen's Saudi-backed government announced on Monday that its forces carried out a strike on Sanaa airport to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing there.

The capital Sanaa is under the control of Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, while the internationally recognized government, backed by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, is based in Aden in southern Yemen.

"The Houthi terrorist militia, supported by the Iranian regime, prevented Yemeni national aircraft from landing at the capital's airport, Sana'a, and insisted that the Iranian aircraft violate Yemeni airspace. Therefore, the airport runway was targeted," the government said in a statement.

Earlier, the defense ministry warned civilians, workers, diplomatic missions and humanitarian organizations to immediately evacuate the airport and its surroundings until further notice.

Yemen's Houthi rebels said they would respond to the attack, which they blamed on Saudi Arabia, without providing evidence.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree warned that "this aggression will not go unanswered or unpunished."

This is a developing story.

Source: www.aljazeera.com