Narrow escape for WHO chief from Israeli airstrike on Yemen airport

SANAA: World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he narrowly escaped an Israeli airstrike at Sanaa International Airport in Yemen. He shared the news on Twitter. He said the attack occurred nearby as he was preparing to board a plane. A UN flight attendant was also injured, Ghebreyesus said.

'We arrived at the airport in Sanaa two hours ago to catch a flight. That's when the airstrike hit the airport. A flight attendant on the plane we were supposed to board was injured. Reports said two people were killed in the attack. The runway was damaged. The attack took place a few meters away from where we were,' he wrote on Twitter.

Meantime, the Israeli military has also responded to the incident. The attack came after Yemen's Houthi rebels attacked Sanaa's international airport, power stations and ports, trying to smuggle Iranian weapons and allow Iranian officials to enter. Nine people were killed in bombings last week in Sanaa and Hodeida. The US military has also targeted the Houthis in Yemen in recent days.