Houthi ballistic missile attacks rock Aden as Yemen reports strikes on airport and port
By Beenish Rashid — SCN NEWS
ADEN — Yemen's Houthi movement launched a series of missile attacks on the southern port city of Aden on Saturday, with the internationally recognised government reporting strikes targeting the city's airport, port and Coast Guard facilities as fighting intensified between the Iran-aligned group and forces backed by Saudi Arabia.
The attacks triggered powerful explosions across Aden, which serves as the temporary seat of Yemen's internationally recognised government. Officials reported ballistic missile strikes against security installations and transport infrastructure, while the Houthis claimed to have targeted military positions used by Saudi-backed forces. The full extent of the damage and any casualties could not immediately be established.
Yemen's Information Ministry said Aden International Airport and port facilities in the al-Tawahi district had come under renewed ballistic missile attack. The ministry did not provide an immediate assessment of damage or report a confirmed casualty toll. The reported strikes raised fresh concerns over the security of infrastructure serving one of the country's most important southern cities.
The Interior Ministry separately said two ballistic missiles had targeted Coast Guard headquarters within the ministry's compound, while another missile was directed at a Coast Guard building in al-Tawahi. The ministry warned that repeated attacks on security facilities and essential infrastructure threatened public safety and the operation of government institutions.
Three powerful explosions were heard in Aden on Saturday, according to journalists reporting from the city. A local security official cited by Xinhua said several missiles had been fired towards Aden, including areas near the airport and military installations in the Khormaksar district. Residents reported that the blasts shook buildings and that smoke was visible near affected areas.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for attacks on what he described as Saudi-backed military concentrations at al-Nasr camp and a naval base in Aden. He alleged that Saudi officers were overseeing preparations by those forces for operations against the Houthis. His statement did not mention the airport or identify the weapons used in the attacks.
The conflicting accounts leave the precise targets and consequences of the strikes unclear. Yemeni government officials described attacks on airport, port and Coast Guard infrastructure, while the Houthis characterised their operations as strikes against military positions. Neither side's full account could immediately be independently verified.
Saturday's attacks followed a series of missile and drone incidents in Aden during October. On October 21, Yemeni authorities reported another missile strike at Aden International Airport, while the Houthis said they had targeted a Saudi military operations facility at Badr camp near the airport. The repeated incidents have placed civilian aviation infrastructure close to military activity in an increasingly dangerous environment.
The latest escalation is also extending beyond Yemen's borders. The Saudi-led coalition said on Saturday that its air defences had intercepted two ballistic missiles launched towards the Saudi cities of Yanbu and Taif. The Houthis separately claimed attacks on Saudi energy and aviation facilities, although the results of those operations were not independently established.
Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognised government since 2015, after the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and expanded their control across northern Yemen. The conflict has divided the country between rival authorities, with the government and its allies holding Aden and substantial parts of the south and east while the Houthis control Sanaa and much of the north and west.
A United Nations-brokered truce in 2022 had substantially reduced large-scale fighting and cross-border attacks. Renewed hostilities since July have undermined that period of relative calm, bringing fresh missile strikes, military offensives and security threats to areas previously less exposed to sustained attacks.
Aden's strategic importance extends beyond its role as a government centre. Its port, airport and maritime security facilities connect southern Yemen with international trade and humanitarian supply routes, making disruptions to transport and security operations particularly consequential for the wider population.
The attacks come as Yemen continues to face severe humanitarian and economic pressures after years of conflict. Any sustained disruption to transport infrastructure could complicate civilian movement and the delivery of essential supplies, although the immediate operational status of the facilities targeted on Saturday remained unclear.
For now, Yemeni authorities are assessing the consequences of the strikes while the Houthis maintain that their targets were military. The latest attacks underscore the continuing risk to Aden as renewed fighting draws major urban centres and critical infrastructure back into the conflict.