Aden: Yemen's internationally recognised government on Friday accused Iran-backed Houthi rebels of targeting Aden International Airport with two missiles that landed near a Yemenia Airways aircraft preparing to take off for Cairo. No casualties were reported, and the passengers and crew were evacuated safely.
Yemen's Information Minister Moammar Al-Eryani said Yemenia Airlines flight IY 612 was preparing for departure when the missiles struck, landing approximately 500 metres from the aircraft and 100 metres from the centre of the runway.
In a post on X, Al-Eryani said the attack could have caused a major humanitarian disaster, accusing the Houthis of threatening civilian aviation and violating international laws and norms.
He described Aden International Airport as a vital gateway for Yemenis travelling abroad for medical treatment, education and employment, as well as for those returning to their families. He said the attack threatened people's rights to life, mobility, healthcare and education.
Yemen's Transport Ministry described the strike as part of a 'systematic Houthi escalation targeting vital facilities and state assets', accusing the rebels of endangering civilians.
However, an unnamed Houthi military official told the Houthi-controlled Saba news agency that the group had targeted a military facility adjacent to the airport. The official said the facility housed a command centre for Saudi-led forces fighting the rebels, as well as a weapons depot.
The attack was the second missile strike on Aden airport in less than 10 days. The Houthis had previously targeted the airport with two missiles on October 7, with no casualties reported, according to officials.
It was also the second major attack in Aden in two days. On Thursday, the Houthis killed at least five people in a strike on a palace complex that serves as the seat of Yemen's internationally recognised government.
Al-Eryani said the government, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, would continue efforts to protect civilians, state institutions and vital facilities and restore security and stability in Yemen.
The latest attack comes amid escalating fighting that has revived Yemen's devastating civil war against the backdrop of the wider Iran conflict. The Houthis, angered by an attack on Sanaa airport, which is under their control, and a longstanding blockade against them, declared a blockade of their own against neighbouring Saudi Arabia.
Since then, the rebels have increasingly targeted airports, oil facilities and military installations in Saudi Arabia, disrupting thousands of flights and killing 19 people, most of them in attacks on Riyadh's international airport. The headquarters of Saudi oil giant Aramco have also been struck.
The Houthis have also advanced along the Red Sea coast to seize territory near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategic shipping route that offers an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has threatened. The Saudi-led coalition launched a major military offensive this month to dislodge the rebels from the area and retake territory.
Meanwhile, Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said the coalition had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched towards Yanbu, two cruise missiles over the Red Sea and three drones in Saudi Arabia's southern and Riyadh regions.
As the conflict intensifies, civilians across Yemen, including residents of the besieged city of Taiz, continue to bear the consequences of the renewed fighting.
(With inputs from agencies)