Yemen’s Ministry of Transportation announced that on Wednesday morning, armed Houthi forces allied with Iran launched a ballistic missile and explosive-laden drones attack on Aden International Airport in Yemen. One missile landed near the runway, prompting a Cairo-bound plane that was scheduled to land minutes later to divert to Jeddah.
As this attack took place, Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces were launching a counter-offensive against the Houthi forces, with the conflict centered along the Red Sea coast and the Bab el Mandeb strait. The Houthis have been escalating the conflict by continuously attacking Yemeni government-controlled areas and targets inside Saudi Arabia using missiles and drones.
According to Reuters, following the attack on Aden Airport, authorities canceled the landing of the Cairo flight and redirected it to Jeddah. Two other planes on the runway were also moved out of concern for further attacks.
Aden International Airport is a key international gateway outside the Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen. The Houthis have not immediately commented on the attack on Aden Airport.
On the same day, the Saudi-led coalition stated that they intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile north of the capital Riyadh, and are tracking launch platforms within Houthi-controlled Sanaa to neutralize them.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed that the group carried out drone attacks on the core international airport in Saudi’s Riyadh, King Khalid International Airport, though Saudi authorities did not immediately confirm this. The Saudi coalition also reported intercepting a ballistic missile aimed at the southwestern city of Khamis Mushait. The Houthis claimed to have targeted Abha International Airport near the Yemeni border as well as an airbase in Khamis Mushait, but Saudi authorities did not immediately confirm an attack on Abha Airport.
The fighting continues in western Yemen, where forces supporting the internationally recognized Yemeni government launched an offensive in the al-Waziiya area of Taiz province as part of the “Dawn of Yemen” counter-offensive campaign.
Al-Waziiya, located west of Taiz and east of the Red Sea port of Mocha, is a crucial mountainous area for government forces to gain control of to secure areas around Mocha and the Bab el Mandeb strait.
Yemeni military media centers stated that armed forces have seized strategic mountainous heights overlooking the Mansoura area, with Houthi militias undergoing a large-scale retreat.
However, the Houthis denied this claim and stated that they repelled government forces’ advances in al-Waziiya.
Last month, Houthi forces rapidly advanced south along the Red Sea coast, capturing parts of Mocha and areas around the Bab el Mandeb strait. This week, the Saudi-backed government forces launched a counter-offensive.
The Associated Press described the current battles as the most intense in Yemen in years. International Organization for Migration reported that since early August, over 184,000 people have been displaced by the conflict, with nearly 22,000 forced to flee their homes between September 27 and October 3, a 26% increase from the previous week.
The Bab el Mandeb strait connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and is a vital maritime chokepoint globally. Approximately 12% of global trade, including about a quarter of global container shipping, passes through this narrow waterway between Europe and Asia.
The ongoing battles have now affected Aden Airport, targets inside Saudi Arabia, and areas around the Bab el Mandeb strait, resulting in a large number of Yemeni civilians losing their homes and safety.