Houthis target Aden airport as Yemen fighting intensifies

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement launched ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones towards Aden International Airport on Wednesday, escalating the latest round of fighting between the group and Saudi-backed government forces.

Yemen’s government news agency Saba reported that the Houthis targeted the airport with two ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones. The claim was also reported by local security authorities, while initial reports said there were no casualties.

The attack disrupted aviation operations at the airport, the main international gateway for areas of Yemen outside Houthi control. Reuters reported that one missile landed near the runway shortly before a flight from Cairo was due to arrive, prompting authorities to divert the aircraft to Jeddah. Other aircraft on the ground were also moved as a precaution.

The strike came as fighting across Yemen intensified following a major government counteroffensive against the Houthis. Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces have been attempting to reclaim territory along the Red Sea coast, including areas surrounding the strategically important Bab el-Mandab Strait and the port town of Mocha.

The Bab el-Mandab is one of the world’s critical maritime chokepoints, connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and providing access to the Suez Canal route. Fighting around the area therefore carries consequences beyond Yemen’s prolonged civil conflict, particularly for commercial shipping and regional security.

The latest escalation follows a renewed offensive by forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised government. The operation, described by Yemeni authorities as “Dawn of Yemen”, is aimed at pushing back Houthi forces and restoring government control over territory held by the movement.

The Houthis have responded with missile and drone attacks against targets in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities said on Wednesday that a Houthi ballistic missile launched towards the southern Saudi city of Khamis Mushait had been intercepted and destroyed. Houthi-affiliated media, meanwhile, reported Saudi strikes inside Yemen, although those claims were not immediately independently confirmed.

The Aden airport attack is particularly significant because the facility serves as an important connection between government-held parts of Yemen and the outside world. An attack affecting its runway or flight operations could therefore have consequences for passenger travel, humanitarian movement and commercial activity even without casualties.

The wider conflict also demonstrates how Yemen’s domestic war remains closely connected to the region’s broader geopolitical confrontation. The Houthis have developed missile and drone capabilities that have previously been used not only against opponents inside Yemen but also against Saudi targets and international shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Their military campaign has repeatedly turned Yemen’s geography into a source of regional leverage.

For now, the immediate concern is whether the fighting around the Bab el-Mandab and Yemen’s Red Sea coast will continue to widen. The attack on Aden airport, coming during the government’s counteroffensive, shows that the latest escalation is no longer confined to frontline positions. Civilian infrastructure and transport links are increasingly exposed as both sides expand the geographic scope of their military operations.