Full Breakdown
Houthi Missile and Drone Strikes Target Aden Airport and Saudi Air Facilities
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
On Wednesday, Yemen’s internationally recognised government reported that Houthi forces launched ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones at Aden International Airport, the main gateway for areas outside Houthi control. One missile struck near the runway minutes before an incoming flight from Cairo was due to land, prompting authorities to cancel the landing and divert the aircraft to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Ministry of Transport also moved two aircraft off the tarmac and evacuated the terminal. In a separate engagement, the Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted and destroyed a Houthi-launched ballistic missile north of Riyadh, tracking the launch platform to a site in Houthi-controlled Sanaa.
Background & Context
The attacks occurred amid an intensified multi-front conflict in Yemen. Since the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa in 2014, the Saudi-backed Yemeni government has operated from Aden. Recent months have seen a Saudi-backed counteroffensive aimed at recapturing the Red Sea port of Mocha and surrounding areas near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, while Houthi forces have made gains along the coast. The broader regional tension is heightened by the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran.
Official Statements & Responses
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed the group also targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, as well as Abha International Airport and an air base in Khamis Mushait, though Saudi authorities have not confirmed those attacks. Major-General Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition, said the intercepted missile was tracked via an intelligence system and that the launch platform would be destroyed.
Data & Statistics
- One missile landed near Aden’s runway minutes before the Cairo flight’s scheduled arrival.
- Two planes were relocated from the runway as a precaution.
- The coalition reported destroying a ballistic missile north of Riyadh; the launch site was identified in Sanaa.
Why It Matters
The Aden strike underscores the Houthis’ capacity to threaten civilian air travel and to project force toward Saudi territory, complicating the Saudi-backed government’s efforts to secure the Red Sea corridor. The coalition’s interception demonstrates its defensive reach but also highlights the ongoing risk of escalation as both sides intensify operations in a region already strained by broader Middle-East conflicts.