Ballistic missile attacks struck Yemen’s southern port city of Aden, with explosions reported near Aden International Airport and military facilities. The Houthi group was blamed by a local security official, while casualties and damage remained unconfirmed amid escalating conflict.
A series of ballistic missile attacks struck Yemen’s southern port city of Aden on Saturday, triggering loud explosions and sending plumes of smoke into the sky near the international airport and key military installations. The attacks mark another escalation in the fighting involving the Houthi group and forces supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government.
According to a local security official who spoke to Xinhua News Agency on condition of anonymity, the Houthis fired nearly four ballistic missiles at the city. Some reportedly struck areas near Aden International Airport and military facilities in the Khormaksar district, while another hit the Coast Guard Troops headquarters in the Al-Tawahi district.
Residents reported that the explosions shook buildings across parts of Aden. Smoke was seen rising from the affected areas following the strikes. However, casualties and the extent of damage were not immediately known.
The latest attacks add to a series of missile strikes targeting Aden in recent weeks, including facilities associated with the internationally recognised government and Saudi-backed military operations.
On Wednesday, the Houthis claimed responsibility for a ballistic missile strike targeting what they described as a Saudi military operations room at Badr military base near Aden International Airport, Xinhua reported. The base is among the military facilities located close to the airport.
Earlier in the week, a military source from the Southern Giants Brigades told Xinhua that government forces, supported by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition, had made limited progress across several battlefronts. The source said there had been no major territorial breakthrough, although government-aligned forces had advanced near Bab al-Mandeb, a strategically important strait connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
The renewed violence follows other attacks on important sites in the southern city. Earlier this month, strikes hit the airport grounds, a military base in the Al-Buraiqa district and the Al-Ma’ashiq Presidential Palace compound, which serves as the seat of Yemen’s internationally recognised government.
According to the Yemeni government, an attack on the presidential palace compound on October 15 killed five people and wounded 16 others. The latest missile strikes have raised further concerns about the security of critical infrastructure and military installations in Aden.
The escalation comes amid intensified fighting between the Houthis and government forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition. Aden remains a key centre for the internationally recognised authorities and an important gateway for areas of Yemen outside Houthi control.
Yemen has been embroiled in conflict since late 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and large parts of the country’s north. In 2015, a Saudi Arabia-led coalition intervened in support of the internationally recognised government, turning the conflict into a prolonged regional crisis.
Although a United Nations-brokered truce in 2022 brought a period of relative calm, fighting has since intensified again. Recent missile attacks on Aden and other strategic locations have added to concerns over renewed instability and the potential consequences for civilians.
The latest strikes also highlight the strategic importance of Aden and the surrounding coastal region. The city’s airport, military bases and coast guard facilities are significant installations for government operations and security. Bab al-Mandeb, meanwhile, is a vital maritime passage connecting international shipping routes through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
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As fighting continues across several fronts, the immediate impact of Saturday’s attacks remains unclear. Authorities have yet to provide a confirmed assessment of casualties or infrastructure damage resulting from the latest missile strikes.
The developments underscore the continuing volatility of Yemen’s conflict, with repeated attacks on strategic locations threatening to deepen insecurity in a country that has endured years of political instability, military confrontation and humanitarian hardship.
