Two Missiles Strike Airport in Yemen's Aden City

Two missiles hit the airport in Yemen's port city of Aden on Friday night, according to police reports. No people were hurt in this attack.

Attack Details

The missiles landed about 500 metres away from a Yemenia Airways plane that was getting ready to take off. Security teams quickly pulled all passengers out of the plane to safety. Police blamed Iran-backed Houthi rebels for the strike, which is the second attack on the same airport in less than 10 days. The Houthis previously shot two missiles at the airport on October 7. A military official linked to the rebels told the Saba news agency that they aimed at a military spot next to the airport. This spot holds a command centre for Saudi-led forces and a weapons depot.

Government Response

Yemen's Information Minister and Transport Ministry condemned the strike. The Transport Ministry called it part of a planned Houthi plan to hit vital state properties and put normal people in danger. Just a day before this, a Houthi strike on a palace complex in Aden killed at least five people. The wider fighting has grown worse over recent months alongside tensions in the Iran conflict. The Houthis have also attacked Saudi Arabia and hit oil and military sites there, killing 19 people. Saudi-led forces recently started a big military push to take back land near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Context

Yemen has faced a long civil war that has caused deep suffering for millions of civilians across the country. Key transport hubs and oil sites are often caught in the middle of these ongoing armed clashes.