Houthi rebels have attacked Aden International Airport with a ballistic missile and explosive-laden drones, Yemen’s transport ministry said, as fighting between the Iran-aligned militia and government forces intensifies.
The missile landed near the runway minutes before a flight from Cairo was due to arrive, prompting authorities to cancel the landing and divert the aircraft to Jeddah. Two planes on the ground were also moved away from the area amid fears of further strikes.
There was no immediate comment from the Houthis. Aden airport is the main international gateway for areas of Yemen outside rebel control.
The latest violence comes as battles have concentrated around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital shipping route that has become more important for energy exports since conflict between the United States and Iran restricted trade through the Strait of Hormuz.
Yemeni government forces, supported by Saudi-led coalition air strikes, launched a counter-offensive this week to reclaim territory near the strait and around Mocha. The Houthis captured the strategic areas in September, although it remains unclear whether the government advance will hold.
Fighting on the western front has focused on Dhubab, overlooking Bab el-Mandeb, with pro-government forces attempting to seize hills to the east. The Houthis have said they repelled the attacks.
Hussam Radman, a researcher at the Sanaa Center, said forces including the Giants Brigade were seeking to control Dhubab and push into the mountains beyond it. Taking the high ground would make it easier for government forces to advance along the coast, he said.
A claim by Yemen’s government on Monday that its forces had reached Mocha was premature, according to military officials on the ground and analysts. The town lies at a junction with a supply route leading to the key battleground of Taiz.
The renewed conflict has displaced more than 200,000 people since the latest fighting began, the International Organisation for Migration said on Wednesday. Its director general, Amy Pope, said: “People are running for their lives and finding nowhere safe to go,” while calling for increased funding for food and shelter.
Both sides have alleged that hundreds of people have been killed, without providing details. The United Nations has said three in four families are going hungry in parts of Yemen.
The Houthis control much of northern Yemen and seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014, prompting Saudi Arabia to lead a military coalition into the conflict. A United Nations-brokered truce in 2022 largely halted heavy fighting but failed to produce a lasting settlement.
The rebels have also repeatedly targeted infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, including airports, oil refineries and pipelines. On Wednesday, the Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile north of Riyadh and was tracking the launch platform over Houthi-controlled Sanaa.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group had targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with several drones. Saudi Arabia did not immediately confirm that an attack on the airport had taken place.
