By Faisal Abu Bakr | 2024-11-26

ADEN -- The Houthis have transformed al-Hodeidah's civilian airport into a military hub they are using to train their fighters, out of fear of reprisal for their attacks on international vessels in the Red Sea, sources said.

The airport, situated just south of the port city, officially ceased operations following the Houthis' coup of 2014, with a Google Maps marker listing it as "permanently closed."

But the now-defunct airport has been a hive of activity, with the Houthis carving out a network of underground tunnels beneath it, which they are using to manufacture and store weapons, officials and experts said.

An investigation by Defense Line, a military and security affairs website, has revealed extensive military operations at the civilian airport and the adjacent al-Hodeidah air base since 2014.

The Houthis have built an elaborate network of fortifications, tunnels and shelters throughout the complex, with weapon storage facilities, it said.

Satellite imagery and Houthi media footage document military activities on the 3km-long runway, including October 27 tactical exercises simulating defense against anticipated amphibious attacks.

Intermittent exercises have been conducted in scattered locations, per Defense Line, spreading out into zones near al-Hodeidah University's Medical College, Al-Hilal Sports Club stadium and lowlands south of the airport roundabout.

Underground military complex

During the recent United Nations-brokered truce, the Houthis initiated runway repairs, claiming civilian purposes while advancing military capabilities, sources said.

Satellite imagery from May 2023 showed significant rehabilitation work had taken place over the previous year.

Imagery from late 2020 had revealed extensive trenches and fortifications around the runway, including deliberate surface damage designed to prevent advances by forces fighting for Yemen's internationally recognized government.

The airport has become "the Houthis' vital artery," with weapon factories and underground training facilities, Yemen's Deputy Minister of Justice Faisal al-Majeedi told Al-Fassel.

He said that Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Hizbullah experts are present, overseeing training and military operations, including "attacks carried out via the airport or other coastal areas within al-Hodeidah province."

Abaad Center for Strategic Studies director Abdul Salam Mohammed described an "underground city" beneath the airport containing "shelters, training camps and storage for drones and missiles."

The Houthis' repairs aim "to market it as a civilian airport, while at the same time using it for smuggling weapons, assembling drones, manufacturing explosives and launching attacks on ships and other targets," he told Al-Fassel.

The militarization has displaced nearby communities, including al-Manzar village residents, to accommodate the expanding military zone.

Political analyst Faisal Ahmed told Al-Fassel that recapturing the airport is essential for restoring state control over al-Hodeidah, now a Houthi military stronghold.