Yemen's Presidential Palace in Aden Targeted by Houthi Missile Attack

Yemen's Houthi militia launched an attack on the Presidential Palace in Aden on Thursday, firing five missiles, according to Information Minister Moammar Al Eryani. The minister confirmed that the Prime Minister and all government members were unharmed. This incident marks the first attack on Aden since the resumption of fighting between the Houthis and government forces last month, following a four-year period of relative calm in the civil war. Aden has served as the seat of Yemen’s government since the Iran-backed Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014, which led to a military intervention by a Saudi-led coalition in 2015.

"We reassure the children of our Yemeni people that the state, the Prime Minister, and all members of the government are safe and well," Mr Al Eryani stated. He characterized the attack as a terrorist act. A statement from the Council of Ministers indicated that the assault involved both missiles and drones, resulting in casualties among security personnel. The cabinet asserted that the attack "clearly exposes the militia’s inability to confront the Yemeni people’s resolve to restore state authority across the entire national territory and to put an end to its Iranian-backed subversive agenda." The statement further emphasized that the attack would not diminish the government's determination or its commitment to fulfilling its national and constitutional duties, adding, "Aden will remain the hub for the operations of state institutions as they carry out their duties towards citizens."

Meanwhile, the Houthi-run Saba News Agency reported that the target was a military operations headquarters at the palace, allegedly managed by Saudi officers, along with associated weapons depots. A military source quoted by the agency claimed the headquarters had been successfully hit. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree stated that the attack aligned with their declared policy of targeting Saudi troop concentrations and treating any Saudi military presence as a legitimate target for their forces.