Iran-backed Houthi rebels launched a missile and drone attack near Yemen’s presidential palace in Aden, killing at least two people and wounding six as renewed fighting threatens Saudi Arabia, disrupts regional air travel and deepens Yemen’s humanitarian emergency.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A deadly attack near Yemen’s presidential palace Thursday, October 15, marked a significant escalation in the country’s renewed civil war, as Iran-backed Houthi rebels targeted a government compound in Aden while continuing their military campaign against neighboring Saudi Arabia.
At least six explosions were reported around the Maashiq presidential palace, which serves as a headquarters for Yemen’s internationally recognized government. Witnesses described residents fleeing the surrounding area as missiles and drones struck near the heavily guarded complex.
Two people were killed and six others wounded, according to a Yemeni government official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the attack publicly.
The government blamed the Houthis for the assault, while the rebel group quickly claimed responsibility, saying it had targeted a military operations headquarters involving Saudi forces.
According to The Associated Press, a security official reported that two explosions occurred on a hill overlooking the palace and two others struck near its security entrance.
The attack was unusual because Aden, the southern port city where Yemen’s internationally recognized government maintains its administrative headquarters, has generally remained outside the Houthis’ principal areas of control.
Government officials confirmed that political leaders present in Aden survived the bombardment. Many senior officials have been living outside the country because of continuing security threats.
Yemeni Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani said five missiles were directed toward the palace complex. <Link url=”https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/15/houthis-target-yemens-presidential-palace-in-aden-with-missiles“>Al Jazeera reported</Link> that two bodyguards protecting the prime minister were killed.
The Houthis maintained that their intended target was a military command facility connected to the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s government.
The strike followed a series of increasingly aggressive Houthi operations against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on airports, military installations and major oil infrastructure.
Earlier Thursday, Saudi military officials announced that air defenses had intercepted a cruise missile over Medina province, near one of Islam’s holiest cities.
The Saudi-led coalition did not identify who launched the missile. Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree denied responsibility, reiterating the group’s position that it would not target airports serving the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
Saudi Arabia also reported destroying drones over its oil-producing Eastern Province and near Khamis Mushait, where a major military air base is located.
The incidents contributed to widespread disruption across the kingdom’s aviation network. Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 reported dozens of cancellations and delays at Jeddah’s international airport, adding to the thousands of flights affected by recent regional hostilities.
The growing attacks have raised concerns about Saudi Arabia’s ability to protect essential infrastructure while the broader conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States continues.
A Reuters analysis published Thursday examined the Houthis’ expanding missile and drone capabilities, developed through years of warfare and technical assistance from Iran and its regional allies.
The escalation also threatens international energy markets because Saudi Arabia remains one of the world’s largest oil exporters.
Inside Yemen, renewed fighting has reversed years of relative calm and placed enormous pressure on communities already devastated by prolonged conflict.
Conditions are particularly severe in Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city, where Houthi forces have restricted access routes and intensified the siege.
Residents face shortages of food, cooking gas and gasoline, while prices for available necessities have climbed sharply.
The World Food Programme says it can no longer reach more than 600,000 people in Taiz who depend on humanitarian assistance.
Fathiyya Mohamed al-Mugahed, a resident searching for basic supplies, described the growing desperation.
“The Houthis have surrounded us from all sides,” she said. “Projectiles are all we have received from them.”
Hospitals are also struggling to manage rising casualties. The International Committee of the Red Cross warned that Taiz has experienced some of the country’s “highest casualty burdens,” with medical facilities increasingly overwhelmed by patients suffering war-related injuries.
According to Reuters, renewed hostilities have disrupted humanitarian assistance to approximately 800,000 people across Yemen, while more than 200,000 have been displaced in recent weeks.
Aid organizations warn that continued fighting could further undermine access to food, medical treatment and essential services.
The latest attacks also complicate diplomatic efforts to contain the wider Middle East conflict, as the Houthis increasingly target Saudi interests while government forces and their coalition allies intensify operations inside Yemen.
With attacks expanding across borders and civilian conditions deteriorating, the fighting around Aden and Taiz demonstrates how Yemen’s renewed war is adding another dangerous dimension to the regional confrontation.
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