Houthis warn airlines to avoid Saudi airspace near Bab el-Mandeb
Yemen's Houthi rebels have told airlines to avoid Saudi airspace, saying it's risky because of what it called Saudi "aggression" continuing.
This warning follows a fresh push by Yemen's Saudi-backed government, supported by Saudi air support, against Houthi positions near the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a crucial route for global shipping.
Yemeni troops claim control Houthis deny
Yemeni government troops claim they've taken control of the Bab el-Mandeb area with big help from Saudi air support, but fighting is still going on.
The Houthis reject claims that government forces had made significant gains, calling them "completely untrue."
With clashes affecting vital transport routes and energy security, the Houthis warned airlines flying through Saudi Arabia's airspace that the kingdom's skies would not be safe for as long as what it called Saudi "aggression" continued.