Houthi Rebels Target Aden Airport in Missile Attack; Saudi Arabia Claims to Intercept Multiple Drones
Houthi rebels launched missiles at Aden Airport, triggering security concerns as Saudi Arabia claims to have intercepted several threats.
Aden, October 17 (Daily Kiran) : Houthi rebels have once again targeted Yemen, this time striking the international airport in the southern port city of Aden. The local security administration reported that ballistic missiles fired by the rebels landed within the airport’s premises.
According to the security administration’s statement, two missiles fell inside the Aden International Airport area. Initial reports indicate no casualties from this attack.
A local security official informed Xinhua News Agency that while two missiles hit near the airport, a third missile struck a military base close to the Saudi-led coalition’s headquarters in the Al-Burayqa area of western Aden.
The attack resulted in three loud explosions heard throughout the city, which serves as the temporary headquarters of the internationally recognized Yemeni government. Eyewitnesses reported seeing several ambulances heading towards the affected areas in the aftermath.
Shortly after the incident, Al-Masirah TV, operated by the Houthi group, quoted a military leader claiming their target was the Badr military camp near Aden Airport, which houses Saudi military headquarters and weaponry.
This strike comes just a day after a missile attack on the Al-Mashiq presidential palace complex in Aden, which resulted in five deaths and 16 injuries, according to the Yemeni government. The Houthis claimed responsibility for that attack, asserting they aimed at the “Saudi military operations headquarters” located within the palace.
In a related development, Turkish Al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition, reported that their forces intercepted three drones flying over southern Saudi Arabia and the capital, Riyadh, along with another drone aimed at the eastern province. Additionally, they destroyed two cruise missiles over the Red Sea and a ballistic missile directed at the port city of Yanbu on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast.
These continuous assaults occur amid an escalation of hostilities between Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia, which is considered the primary ally of the Yemeni government.
The coalition announced that since October 1, Houthi attacks on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport have resulted in 17 deaths and over 330 injuries, with the airport facing 20 attacks in just two weeks.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Ismail Baghaei, stated that Iran is ready to assist in resolving differences between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi group, dismissing allegations of Tehran’s involvement in Houthi operations.
Yemen has been engulfed in conflict since late 2014, when Houthi rebels seized control of the capital, Sanaa, and large parts of northern Yemen, forcing the government to flee.
