Missiles Strike Aden Palace As Regional Conflict Escalates
Yemen’s Houthi movement fired missiles and drones at the presidential Al-Maashiq Palace complex in Aden on Thursday, killing five people and injuring 16 others, according to statements from Yemen’s government and health ministry reported by Reuters and CNN. The strike on the seat of the internationally recognized government marks a high-profile escalation in the resumed conflict between the Iran-aligned group and Saudi-backed forces, which intensified last month as a new theatre in the wider regional war.
Cabinet Members Safe Amid Heavy Casualties
Yemeni Prime Minister Shaya Al-Zindani and his cabinet members were unharmed during the attack, Yemeni Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani stated. Witnesses near the fortified rocky outcrop overlooking the southern port city reported hearing loud booms as projectiles struck the compound. Yemen’s Health Minister Qasim Buhaibeh confirmed that the five fatalities included security guards and civilian employees, alongside two members of the Prime Minister’s security detail.
Houthis have attacked Yemeni Presidential palace in Aden. At least 5 killed and 16 wounded but Prime Minister and his cabinet survived. pic.twitter.com/NJXA2mjLMq
The assault follows the launch of a government military campaign earlier this month designated as operation “Yemen’s Dawn.” In response to the palace strike, the Yemeni military announced it had killed a prominent Houthi commander identified as Abu al-Fadl al-Hadrami, who served as the head of the group’s ballistic missile and drone operations.
Saudi Coalition Reports Dozens of Infrastructure Attacks
As the Saudi-led coalition backs government forces attempting to recapture territory near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Houthis have targeted civilian and military infrastructure across the kingdom. Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki stated that the Houthis had launched 20 attacks this month alone against King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, resulting in 17 deaths and 333 injuries. Additional strikes on Abha airport near the Yemeni border killed three people and wounded 28.
Maliki accused regional actors of supplying the Houthis with advanced military technology, including ballistic missiles, drones, and explosive-laden fast boats. While Tehran has officially denied violating a UN arms embargo, the coalition reported destroying 127 weapons storage facilities and launch platforms in Yemen’s mountainous regions in response.
Aviation Warnings and Regional Air Defense Alerts
Following the military exchanges, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree issued renewed warnings that Saudi airspace and airports remain unsafe for commercial carriers, excluding the airspace over Mecca and Medina. The warning coincided with early-warning alerts issued by Saudi Arabia’s civil defence authority across the regions of Najran and Jizan.
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