Houthi Strike Hit Saudi-Led Coalition Command Centre in Aden, Minister Says
Thursday’s Houthi Aden strike on Yemen’s presidential palace hit a command centre of the Saudi-led coalition, a Yemeni government minister has said. The minister, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said three missiles hit a command centre for Yemeni government forces and two struck the headquarters of the Saudi-led coalition at the presidential complex.
The minister said there were Yemeni and Saudi casualties but gave no specific toll in Thursday’s attack on Al-Maashiq Palace, the seat of Yemen’s internationally recognised government.
Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani said Prime Minister Shaya Al-Zindani and members of the cabinet were unharmed. He said five missiles had been fired at the complex. The government’s Ministry of Information confirmed the prime minister was safe following the strike.
Minister of Youth Nayef Saleh al-Bakri said all cabinet ministers in Aden were unharmed and the government would not leave the city. Yemen’s Cabinet said the attack involved missiles and drones and would not affect its operations or its campaign against the Houthis.
What the Houthi Aden strike hit
The Houthis claimed they had targeted “the headquarters of military operations, led by Saudi officers, at the Al-Maashiq Palace in Aden, as well as weapons depots belonging to them”, according to media affiliated with the group.
The group said the strike formed part of a declared strategy of targeting Saudi military build-ups wherever they were located. The Houthi Aden strike marks the first attack on the palace complex since Yemen’s civil war flared back to life in July.
Three government military sources told AFP at least four people were killed and 10 wounded in the strikes. The Yemeni government said two members of the prime minister’s security detail were among the dead.
Why Aden matters
Aden serves as the interim capital and seat of Yemen’s internationally recognised government, which was forced out of Sanaa after the Houthis seized the capital in 2014. Al-Maashiq Palace functions as the government’s headquarters in the country’s south.
A Saudi-led military coalition has backed the government in its fight against the Houthis since 2015. The war reignited after the collapse of a years-long truce, with the Houthis launching a lightning offensive in September that seized swathes of territory along the Red Sea coastline. A government counteroffensive with Saudi air support has so far failed to reverse those gains.
This Houthi Aden strike follows days of escalating attacks. Earlier this week, Houthis fired missiles at the presidential palace in Aden, and on Tuesday the group claimed strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.
Escalation across the region
The coalition’s spokesman, Turki Al-Maliki, said Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport had faced 20 attacks since October 1, killing 17 people and injuring 333 between October 7 and 11.
Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of encouraging the escalation, saying Tehran continues to arm and train the Houthis. Riyadh says Iran is behind the recent attacks, a charge Tehran rejects.
Pakistan has also weighed in. At the UN Security Council on Thursday, Pakistan condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and reaffirmed support for the kingdom’s security. Separately, the coalition said a missile was intercepted over the Madina region, though the Houthis denied involvement.
The fallout has spread beyond the battlefield. Global finance firms including JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank have allowed Saudi Arabia-based staff to work from home after the strikes heightened security concerns, while FIFA postponed the FIFAe Finals 2026 in Jeddah after attacks on Saudi Arabia.
Humanitarian toll rising
More than 200,000 people have been displaced in Yemen in recent weeks as fighting disrupts food and fuel supplies, the Norwegian Refugee Council said, warning that shifting front lines in Taiz are cutting off civilians from essential supplies.
Who was hurt in the Aden palace attack?
Two members of Prime Minister Shaya Al-Zindani’s security detail were killed, the Yemeni government said. Government military sources told AFP at least four people were killed and 10 wounded in total.
What did the Houthis say they targeted?
The Houthis said they struck the headquarters of military operations, led by Saudi officers, at Al-Maashiq Palace in Aden, along with weapons depots. A Yemeni minister confirmed the strike hit a Saudi-led coalition command centre.
Is Yemen’s prime minister safe?
Yes. Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani said the prime minister and cabinet ministers were unharmed, and the government’s Ministry of Information confirmed they were safe.
Why is fighting escalating in Yemen?
The civil war reignited after a years-long truce collapsed, with the Houthis launching a September offensive along the Red Sea coast. The group has since struck Saudi targets including Aramco facilities and Riyadh’s airport, while Saudi Arabia accuses Iran of arming the rebels.
