Two missiles struck the airport in Yemen’s southern port city of Aden on Friday night, according to police. Authorities blamed the Iran-backed Houthi rebels for the attack, marking the second missile strike on the airport in less than 10 days.
Police reported no casualties in the latest incident as fighting intensifies on another front in the wider Iran conflict. The Houthis have launched attacks against neighboring Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s internationally recognized government, which receives support from Riyadh.
The attack came just a day after the rebels struck a palace complex in Aden, the government’s seat, killing at least five people. It was the second major assault on the city within two days.
A military official affiliated with the Houthis, speaking to the rebel-controlled Saba news agency, said the group targeted a military installation near the airport. The facility reportedly contains a command center used by Saudi-led forces fighting the rebels, along with a weapons storage depot.
The airport had previously been targeted by two missiles on Oct. 7, although that incident also resulted in no reported casualties.
Yemen’s information minister said Friday’s missiles landed approximately 500 meters from a Yemenia Airways aircraft that was preparing for takeoff. A security official, who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to address the media, said passengers were evacuated from the plane promptly.
The country’s transport ministry condemned the strike, describing it as part of a “systematic Houthi escalation targeting vital facilities and state assets.” The ministry accused the rebels of deliberately putting civilian lives at risk.
The latest surge in violence has reignited Yemen’s devastating civil war, which intensified months ago amid growing tensions surrounding the broader conflict involving Iran. The Houthis, angered by an attack on Sanaa’s airport and a prolonged blockade imposed on their territory, announced their own blockade against neighboring Saudi Arabia.
Since then, the rebels have increasingly attacked airports, oil installations and military facilities across Saudi Arabia. These strikes have disrupted thousands of flights and killed 19 people, with most fatalities occurring in attacks on Riyadh’s international airport. The headquarters of Saudi oil giant Aramco have also been targeted, dealing another blow to the world’s leading oil exporter.
Meanwhile, Houthi forces have advanced along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, seizing territory near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The strategic waterway provides an alternative shipping route to the Strait of Hormuz, where maritime traffic has faced threats linked to the Iran conflict.
In response, the Saudi-led coalition launched a major military offensive this month to push the rebels away from the strategically important strait and reclaim territory.
As the escalating conflict continues to unsettle global markets, Yemeni civilians are facing worsening humanitarian conditions, particularly in besieged areas such as the city of Taiz.