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Arab Coalition Detects Hostile Houthi Activity at Sanaa Airport

General view of Sanaa International airport, Sanaa, Yemen November 23, 2017. (Reuters)
General view of Sanaa International airport, Sanaa, Yemen November 23, 2017. (Reuters)
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Arab Coalition Detects Hostile Houthi Activity at Sanaa Airport

General view of Sanaa International airport, Sanaa, Yemen November 23, 2017. (Reuters)
General view of Sanaa International airport, Sanaa, Yemen November 23, 2017. (Reuters)

The Saudi-led Arab coalition said on Saturday it had detected new hostile activities by the Iran-backed Houthi militias at Sanaa International Airport.

The coalition revealed that a surveillance drone was launched from the facility towards other Yemeni regions.

Last week, coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki had stated that the Houthis had transformed Sanaa airport into a military testing base and a platform to launch cross border attacks.

The Houthis are a danger to United Nations planes, agencies and relief staff, he warned.

Iran has turned the airport into a main base for the launch of hostile attacks, he added.

Moreover, Iran has used the facility to deliver various weapons to the terrorist militias, he continued.

The coalition also released footage that prove the Houthis' use of a UN plane as a mock target in a military test of an air defense system.

Other footage confirmed previous coalition statements that the Houthis had transformed the airport into a military camp and factory for the manufacture and storage of armed drones and ballistic missiles that are used in attacks in Yemen and beyond.

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Syria Puts Entry Restrictions On Lebanese After Border Clash

Cars line up to enter Lebanon after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad near the Lebanese-Syrian border (Reuters)
Cars line up to enter Lebanon after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad near the Lebanese-Syrian border (Reuters)
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Syria Puts Entry Restrictions On Lebanese After Border Clash

Cars line up to enter Lebanon after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad near the Lebanese-Syrian border (Reuters)
Cars line up to enter Lebanon after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad near the Lebanese-Syrian border (Reuters)

Syria has imposed new restrictions on the entry of Lebanese citizens, two security sources from Lebanon told AFP on Friday, following what the Lebanese army said was a border skirmish with armed Syrians.

The developments appeared to be the first instance of diplomatic friction between the two neighbours since opposition factions topped longtime Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad last month.

Lebanese nationals had previously been allowed into Syria without a visa, using just their passport or ID.

But a Lebanese General Security official told AFP Friday that they were "surprised to see the border had been closed" to Lebanese citizens "from the Syrian side".

The official, who like other sources spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, said that no new border measures had been communicated to them yet.

A security source at Masnaa, the main land border crossing between the two countries, said Syrian authorities had implemented "new procedures" since last night, only allowing in Lebanese with residency permits or official permission.

The Lebanese army said in a statement on X that its soldiers and Syrians had clashed at the border as the armed forces tried to "close an illegal crossing".

"Syrians attempted to open the crossing using a bulldozer, so army personnel fired warning shots into the air. The Syrians opened fire on army personnel, injuring one of them and provoking a clash".

"Army units deployed in the sector have taken strict military measures," the statement added.

Earlier, a Lebanese military official had said Syria's move followed "skirmishes between the Lebanese army and Syrian armed men at the border" who were briefly detained by the army.