Houthis Strike Aden Airport as Yemen Fighting Escalates
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis launched two missiles toward the international airport in Aden early Wednesday as fighting intensified between Houthi forces and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.
No casualties were immediately reported, according to the media office of Aden’s security department. Aden International Airport is the main international gateway serving areas of Yemen that are outside Houthi control.
The attack came after weeks of renewed fighting along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and a government counteroffensive supported by Saudi-led coalition airstrikes.
Fighting expands around Bab al-Mandab
Saudi-backed government forces have recently recaptured areas around the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
The area is strategically important because it forms part of a major international shipping route. Any prolonged disruption around the strait could affect commercial shipping and the movement of energy supplies between the Middle East, Asia and Europe.
The renewed fighting has therefore attracted attention beyond Yemen as traders assess the potential implications for oil prices, shipping costs and regional supply chains.
Saudi Arabia reports missile interception
Earlier on Wednesday, the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile launched toward the southern Saudi city of Khamis Mushait.
The coalition said the missile threat originated from areas controlled by the Houthis, including Sanaa and the governorates of Saada and Amran.
Following the Saudi statement, Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV reported that Saudi forces had carried out a strike in an area covering parts of the central governorates of Ibb and Taiz.
There was no immediate confirmation of the reported Saudi strike from the Saudi-led coalition.
The latest attacks show that the conflict is continuing to spread across multiple fronts as Saudi-backed forces attempt to consolidate their recent territorial gains and the Houthis respond with missile attacks.
