Houthis target Aden airport and Riyadh with missiles as Bab el-Mandeb clashes escalate

Aden airport targeted in early morning strikes

Houthi forces fired at least two ballistic missiles and launched several explosive drones at Aden International Airport early on Wednesday. The airport functions as the primary international gateway for parts of Yemen outside Houthi control, located in the southern port city that serves as the interim government seat. One projectile impacted near the runway minutes before a commercial flight arriving from Cairo was scheduled to land. Transport authorities immediately aborted the landing and diverted the aircraft to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. Airport officials evacuated the terminal building and relocated two commercial airplanes away from the tarmac to prevent further damage. Houthi representatives stated that their ballistic missiles targeted Saudi military supplies arriving at the nearby Badr camp.

This incident could easily have turned a civilian flight into a horrific humanitarian disaster, claiming the lives of dozens of innocent people in an instant.

Interceptions over Saudi Arabian airspace

The Saudi-led military coalition intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile north of Riyadh. Coalition spokesperson Major-General Turki al-Maliki confirmed that military tracking systems pinpointed the launch site in Houthi-controlled Sanaa. Coalition statements noted that missile threats originated across Sanaa, Saada, and Amran governorates. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed the group launched drone strikes against King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, alongside coordinated missile and drone attacks directed at Abha International Airport and an air base in Khamis Mushait. Saudi air defense units intercepted another ballistic missile targeting Khamis Mushait earlier on Wednesday. Houthi-run Al Masirah television reported retaliatory coalition airstrikes across positions in the central governorates of Ibb and Taiz.

Counteroffensive along Bab el-Mandeb and Taiz

The aerial exchanges followed a counteroffensive launched by Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces along the Red Sea coast. Backed by coalition air support, government units pushed Houthi fighters out of positions around the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the port city of Mocha, which the group seized last month. The strait serves as a vital shipping route connecting commercial and crude oil shipments to the Suez Canal. Ground operations have been spearheaded by the A'amaliqa formation under Abu Zara Al-Muharrami, a member of the Presidential Leadership Council. Combat also involved the Homeland Shield Forces, which receive Saudi backing following the withdrawal of United Arab Emirates troops in January. Heavy clashes concentrated across Taiz province, where Houthi forces seized the family residence of Presidential Leadership Council head Rashad al-Alimi hours after he announced the offensive from Saudi Arabia.

Regional defense pact activated in Riyadh

The military escalation follows an emergency meeting convened by the Saudi government in Riyadh on 5 October 2026. Turkey and Pakistan activated a mutual defense arrangement with Saudi Arabia, committing to send military personnel in support of the kingdom. The United States and the United Kingdom assisted coalition operations by supplying intelligence on Houthi targets and providing aerial refueling for coalition aircraft. The latest clashes disrupt the period of reduced fighting established under a United Nations-brokered truce in 2022. The 12-year conflict began in late 2014 when the Houthis ousted former President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi, leaving the group in control of northern Yemen and areas inhabited by 60% to 65% of the country's population.