Houthis Strike Aden Palace as Saudi Arabia Reports Missile Attacks

Yemen’s conflict intensified on Thursday as Houthi forces fired missiles and drones at Aden’s presidential palace complex, killing five people and injured 16, according to Yemeni officials. The attack was aimed at the Al-Maashiq palace, which is the headquarters of the Saudi-backed, internationally acknowledged administration.

The event occurred as the Saudi-led military coalition reported many Houthi strikes on Saudi airports, ports, and oil installations. The coalition also warned that the organization has gained modern weaponry, including as ballistic missiles, drones, and explosive-laden speed boats.

Yemen’s Information Minister, Moammar al-Eryani, confirmed the country’s prime minister and cabinet members were safe following the strike. Health Minister Qasim Buhaibeh confirmed the fatalities and injuries, stating that the victims comprised both security personnel and civilian staff.

The Yemeni government stated that both missiles and drones were employed in the assault. Witnesses said they heard loud explosions near the palace.

Houthis Attack Aden Palace as Yemen Fighting Escalates

Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesperson, claimed the group attacked what he characterised as the Saudi military headquarters in Aden. He described the hit as part of the group’s stated goal of striking Saudi reinforcements wherever they were found.

The Houthi-run news outlet SABA reported that Saudi officials ran the headquarters and that weapons stores were housed there. These allegations couldn’t be independently confirmed.

The strike was described as the first attack on the Al-Maashiq palace during the current round of warfare. During an earlier fight for Aden, Houthi forces temporarily controlled the facility before leaving.

The fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces started last month. Last week, government soldiers started an assault to retake Houthi-held territory, regaining ground near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a major international trade route.

Yemen’s war began in 2014, when Houthi forces took over the capital, Sanaa, forcing the government to flee south. A Saudi-led military intervention followed in 2015, resulting in years of conflict and a protracted stalemate. A truce agreed in 2022 lasted until the most recent escalation reported in the article.

Aid groups have warned that the situation in Yemen is worsening fast as combat continues.

Saudi Arabia Reports Houthi Attacks on Civilian Infrastructure

The Saudi-led coalition stated that Houthi fighters tried strikes on dozens of Saudi installations in recent weeks. Turki al-Maliki, a coalition spokeswoman, informed reporters that strikes on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh had killed 17 people and injured 333 throughout the month.

The coalition also announced that three people were killed and 28 injured in strikes on Abha airport in southern Saudi Arabia. The airport is situated close the Yemeni border.

Al-Maliki stated that the Houthis have gotten superior military weapons with the help of regional parties. He also claimed that coalition forces had destroyed 127 weapons storage facilities and launch sites in Yemen’s mountainous terrain.

Iran has helped the Houthis with weapons, finance, and training, despite Tehran’s denial that it violated a UN ban.

The International Civil Aviation Organization’s governing council has denounced recent attacks on Saudi civilian airports, aircraft, and aviation infrastructure.

On Thursday, Saudi officials issued early warning alarms in Najran, Jizan, and nearby areas before claiming that the threat had passed. The alliance also claimed to have intercepted and destroyed a drone in Khamis Mushait, as well as another that was fired into southern Saudi Arabia.

The Houthis then warned that Saudi airspace and airports were risky, although they excluded the area over Mecca and Medina from their warning. The most recent events underscore the mounting threat to civilian infrastructure as the conflict advances throughout Yemen and Saudi Arabia.