MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Two Russian planes were denied to land in Yemen's capital Sanaa by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition, an airport source told Sputnik on Saturday.
According to the source, the aircraft were forced to return to Cairo.
Earlier on Saturday, a source at the Russian Embassy in Yemen told RIA Novosti that a Russian evacuation plane was expected to arrive to Sanaa during the day but the flight was rescheduled to Sunday due to the security situation in the city.
Tensions have been on the rise in Yemen recently, with Shiite Houthi rebels battling troops loyal to Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi. The Houthis has seized parts of Yemen, including the capital.
Saudi Arabia, alongside several other Arab states, including Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, began carrying out airstrikes against positions of Houthi rebels in Yemen in late March, following a request from President Hadi, who has been forced to flee the country.
