Houthis strike Yemen’s Aden palace and airport amid renewed conflict

What happened

Al Jazeera Yemen reports that the Iran-supported Houthi armed group fired missiles on Thursday at the presidential palace in Aden, killing five people and injuring sixteen, including guards and civilian staff. Government officials, including Prime Minister Shaya al-Zindani, were unharmed though two of his bodyguards died in the strike. On Friday, two more missiles reportedly struck the grounds of Aden International Airport while a passenger flight bound for Cairo was preparing to depart, with no casualties reported but close proximity raising safety concerns.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. The Houthis claim to have targeted a Saudi military operations hub inside the Aden palace compound, a claim framed by their spokesman as part of their campaign against Saudi reinforcements. The airport strikes were blamed on the Houthis by local security authorities. These strikes mark a significant intensification after a 2022 truce largely froze hostilities, reflecting a renewed conflict dynamic following the Houthis’ recent expansion along the Red Sea coast including control of the strategic Bab al-Mandeb strait at the Red Sea entrance.

Aden serves as the seat of the internationally recognised Yemeni government that relocated there after the Houthis captured the capital, Sanaa, in 2014. Strikes on Aden are particularly sensitive because they threaten the centre of governmental authority outside the Houthi-controlled north and west. Previous attacks on Aden airport in 2020 resulted in heavy casualties, highlighting the enduring risk to civilian and government targets in the city.

Known from the source

• Houthis fired missiles at Aden’s presidential palace on Thursday, killing five and wounding 16, including guards and civilian employees.
• Prime Minister Shaya al-Zindani and officials were reported safe; two of his bodyguards died.
• Two missiles landed on the grounds of Aden International Airport on Friday near a passenger plane preparing for takeoff; no casualties reported.
• The Aden Security Department blamed the Houthis for the airport attack, which was the second in under a week.
• Houthis claim to have targeted a Saudi military operations headquarters in Aden palace and weapons depots near the airport.

What remains unclear

The attack drew international condemnation, with Saudi Arabia accusing Iran of encouraging the escalation, a charge denied by Tehran, which reiterated its willingness to mediate. The UN Security Council and civil aviation bodies have also condemned recent Houthi attacks affecting airports and civilian infrastructure in the region. The resumption of fighting in July and Houthi control of key maritime chokepoints has raised concerns over the security of critical Red Sea shipping lanes.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Exact casualty numbers and identities from the palace strike as initially reported. Verification of missile impacts at Aden airport and proximity to flights including Yemenia Flight 612. The claim that the Houthis targeted Saudi military operations headquarters and weapons depots.

Evidence note

This story contains report-led claims. The article keeps those claims attributed and treats them as unconfirmed/hearsay unless independently corroborated.

Original source: Al Jazeera Yemen. Open the source.