Yemen's Government Reports Houthi Missile Strikes Near Aden Airport

Yemen’s internationally recognized government has reported that the Houthi group launched two missiles targeting Aden International Airport in Aden, the provisional capital. This incident follows a deadly attack on the presidential palace in the same city the previous day. Moammar al-Eryani, Yemen's Information Minister, stated that the missiles landed approximately 500 meters from an aircraft preparing for takeoff. He confirmed that all passengers and crew were unharmed, attributing their safety to "divine providence" and condemning the attacks as a "grave violation of international laws and norms."

In response, a military source attributed a statement to the Houthis claiming responsibility for an attack on the "Saudi forces’ command headquarters in the Badr camp in Aden province" and a weapons depot. The ongoing conflict in Yemen, a resurgence of its civil war, involves continued heavy fighting between the Saudi-backed government forces and the Iran-aligned Houthis.

Earlier on Friday, Yemeni government forces announced advances in Marib province, northeast of Sanaa. Military spokesman Majed al-Nazili reported significant "territorial gains" with air support, securing "key positions." He also claimed that over 430 Houthi fighters were "neutralised" and more than 100 vehicles and military assets destroyed or disabled within a 24-hour period.

In the Taiz governorate, a significant battlefront, government forces reported repelling several large-scale Houthi attacks and inflicting "heavy losses." Additionally, they claimed to have captured a specialized drone team affiliated with the Houthis in the Taiz area. Houthi forces have recently encircled Taiz, Yemen's third-largest city, by cutting its main southern road to Aden, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis and causing widespread displacement.

Separately, the Saudi-led coalition announced on Friday that it had intercepted missiles and drones over Riyadh and other parts of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of supporting Houthi attacks, including providing arms and training. Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied these accusations, stating Tehran's non-involvement in Houthi operations and reiterating a proposal for mediation.

The Yemeni civil war began in 2014 when the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, seized Sanaa, forcing the government to flee. A Saudi-led international coalition intervened in 2015 to support the government. A UN-backed truce in 2022 temporarily reduced fighting, but tensions have escalated since the Houthis declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabian ports and shipping lanes in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in July. In September, Houthi forces launched an offensive on Mocha and seized territory along the western coast and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, including Mayyun Island.