The transport ministry said a missile landed near the runway shortly before a flight from Cairo was due to arrive. The plane was diverted to Jeddah; the Houthis separately claimed attacks on targets in Saudi Arabia.
Yemen’s Transport Ministry said the Houthis attacked Aden International Airport with ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones on the morning of Oct. 7. The ministry said one missile landed near the runway minutes before a flight from Cairo was expected. The landing was canceled, the plane was diverted to Jeddah and two aircraft on the runway were moved away.
The Associated Press and Al Jazeera also reported the airport attack, citing Yemeni authorities. AP noted that the Houthis provided no evidence for their claims of strikes on targets in Saudi Arabia. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said the group targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Abha airport and military sites in the kingdom’s southwest.
The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted a ballistic missile launched toward an area north of Riyadh. A coalition spokesman said the launch platform had been tracked in Sanaa. Saudi authorities did not confirm the reported attack on Abha airport, and no independent verification of damage to the targets was available.
The escalation comes amid fighting on Yemen’s western coast. AP reported that Saudi-backed forces are advancing against the Houthis near the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The attacks and claims concern important transport routes, but available reports do not independently establish the damage in Aden or Saudi Arabia.