Daijiworld Media Network - Aden
Aden, Oct 17: Two missiles struck the airport in Yemen’s southern port city of Aden on Friday night, with police blaming Iran-backed Houthi rebels for the attack. No casualties were reported, officials said, marking the second missile strike on the airport in less than 10 days.
The latest attack came amid escalating hostilities in Yemen, where the Houthis have targeted neighbouring Saudi Arabia and the internationally recognised Yemeni government, which is backed by Riyadh. It was also the second major attack in Aden in two days.
On Thursday, the rebels killed at least five people in a strike on a palace complex in Aden that serves as the government’s seat.
An unnamed military official from the Houthi group told the rebel-controlled Saba news agency that the latest strike targeted a military facility adjacent to the airport. The facility reportedly houses a command centre for Saudi-led forces fighting the Houthis, along with a weapons depot.
The airport was previously targeted by two missiles on October 7, with no casualties reported. Yemen’s Information Minister said the latest missiles landed about 500 metres from an aircraft operated by Yemenia Airways as it was preparing for take-off.
A security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said passengers were evacuated from the aircraft immediately after the attack.
Yemen’s Transport Ministry condemned the strike, describing it as part of a “systematic Houthi escalation targeting vital facilities and state assets”. It accused the rebels of endangering civilian lives through attacks on critical infrastructure.
The renewed fighting, which has intensified Yemen’s prolonged civil war, is unfolding amid wider regional tensions linked to the Iran conflict. The Houthis, angered by an attack on Sanaa airport, which is under their control, and a longstanding blockade imposed on them, announced a blockade targeting neighbouring Saudi Arabia.
Since then, the rebels have increasingly targeted airports, oil installations and military facilities in Saudi Arabia, disrupting thousands of flights and killing 19 people, most of them in attacks on Riyadh’s international airport, according to the report. The headquarters of Saudi oil giant Aramco have also been struck.
The Houthis have also advanced along the Red Sea coast towards the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategically important shipping route that serves as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, which has faced threats amid the wider conflict.
In response, the Saudi-led coalition launched a major military offensive this month to dislodge the rebels from the strategic area and retake territory.
The escalation has unsettled global markets and worsened conditions for civilians across Yemen, particularly in conflict-affected areas such as the besieged city of Taiz.