Yemen says Houthis fired two missiles near Aden airport, narrowly missing aircraft

Yemen's internationally recognised government says the Houthis fired two missiles at Aden International Airport, landing near the runway and close to an aircraft preparing to take off. The attack took place on Friday in Aden, the seat of the government, and came a day after a deadly strike on the presidential palace in the city. Officials said the missiles landed about 500 metres from the plane, but no passengers or crew were hurt.

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Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani said the airport attack was a serious breach of international law and norms. He said all passengers and crew were safe and thanked what he described as divine providence for preventing a possible humanitarian disaster. The Houthis, in a statement attributed to a military source, said they had launched an attack on the Saudi forces' command headquarters in the Badr camp in Aden province and on a weapons depot.

The incident adds to the pressure on Aden, which has served as the base of the internationally recognised government during Yemen's long-running civil war. The airport is a key civilian facility, and any strike near its runway raises immediate concerns about aviation safety and the risk of wider disruption. The report did not say whether flights were suspended, but the proximity of the missiles to an aircraft preparing for departure underlines the potential scale of the threat.

The attack also comes amid continued heavy fighting between the Saudi-backed government and the Iran-aligned Houthis. Government forces said earlier on Friday that they had advanced in Marib province northeast of Sanaa, claiming territorial gains and saying they had neutralised more than 430 Houthi fighters in 24 hours. They also said they had destroyed or disabled more than 100 vehicles and military assets, although those claims could not be independently verified from the supplied material.

Taiz governorate remains another major front in the conflict, with government forces saying they repelled large-scale Houthi attacks and captured a specialised drone team affiliated with the group. The same report said Houthi forces have encircled Taiz, Yemen's third-largest city, by cutting its main road south to Aden, worsening displacement and the humanitarian situation. That wider battlefield context helps explain why attacks on infrastructure in Aden carry significance beyond the immediate airport incident.

What remains unclear is whether the missiles were intercepted, what damage, if any, was caused to airport facilities, and whether the Houthis' claimed target in Aden was hit. It is also not clear how the airport incident relates to the deadly strike on the presidential palace the previous day. Further official statements would be needed to confirm the full impact and whether air operations in Aden were affected.

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